Russian warship wards off pirate attack near African coast

A Russian Navy destroyer has fended off a pirate attack on a container ship near the western coast of Africa, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

A Russian Navy destroyer has fended off a pirate attack on a container ship near the western coast of Africa, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. Destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov received a distress signal from Panama-registered container ship Lucia en route from Togo to Cameroon on Monday, the ministry said in a statement, and dispatched a unit of marines on a helicopter to it.

The pirates immediately fled, allowing Russian soldiers to free the ship's crew. The Russian destroyer was part of a group patrolling the Gulf of Guinea to ensure the security of civilian navigation.

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