Ukrainian frigate Hetman Sahaidachny has successfully completed an operational tour with the EU Naval Force and is now sailing towards her home port of Sevastopol in the Ukraine.
The Ukrainian frigate joined the EU Naval Force on Friday 3 January 2014, after first deploying with NATO’s counter- piracy Operation Ocean Shield in the same region.
During her time with EU Naval Force, Hetman Sahaidachny carried out counter-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean and conducted a number of friendly approaches with local seafarers and fishermen in order to better understand their concerns. The friendly approaches were also an opportunity to inform the seafarers about the EU Naval Force and the on-going piracy threat.
At the beginning of February, the Ukrainian warship held a successful joint counter-piracy exercise with South Korean Navy warship. One of the last operational activities that the Ukrainian frigate carried out was to provide much-needed protection to a stricken vessel in the piracy high risk area.
This was the first time that the Ukraine has participated in an EU maritime operation. Talking about the experience, the commander of the embarked Ukrainian contingent, Rear Admiral Andrii Tarasov, stated “It has been a great honour to be the first Ukrainian warship to contribute to the international efforts against piracy.”
[mappress] Press Release, February 28, 2014, 2014; Image: EU Navfor