On June 2, 2011 Russian Navy’s task unit consisting of Northern Fleet (NF) large ASW ship Severomorsk , Baltic Fleet (BF) tanker Yelnya , and Black Sea Fleet (BSF) sea-going tug MB-304 passed through the Suez Canal and set a course for the Gulf of Aden.
Russian ships started to pass the canal at 6 am (Moscow time).
The task unit will begin to conduct commercial shipping security mission in the Gulf of Aden and near the Horn of Africa in the first half of June.
Russian Navy command affirms the plans of regular presence in the piracy-hazardous regions and considers security of commercial shipping there as a high-priority and vital mission. [mappress] Source: Rusnavy, June 3, 2011;