KIEV, October 12 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s navy flagship, the Hetman Sahaidachny frigate, started patrolling naval routes off the African coast on Saturday as part of NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield, Ukraine’s UNIAN news agency said.
"The Ukrainian ship has already covered several hundred nautical miles in the Gulf of Aden and started its patrolling round together with warships of the US, Danish and Dutch navies,” the agency quoted Ukraine’s Navy command as saying.
Global powers, including NATO, the European Union and Russia, have launched anti-piracy missions in response to a rising amount of piracy off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean.
Operation Ocean Shield aims to deter and disrupt pirate attacks, protect vessels and help increase overall security in the region since 2008. In March 2012, the North Atlantic Council extended the operation until the end of 2014.
Earlier this week, the Ukrainian parliament has approved a presidential decree to join the international antipiracy efforts.
