Three small pirate vessels attacked the Aframax class NS Commander, owned by Novorossiisk Shipping Company, and its crew of 23 Russians on Monday afternoon in the Gulf of Aden. The would-be hijackers, armed with automatic weapons and grenade launchers, opened fire on the vessel but were outmaneuvered, the statement said.
Online shipping portal Maritime Bulletin reported that the sailors repelled the attack with the tanker's fire hoses. The company said only that the crew managed to fend off two attempts by the pirates to approach.
"The captain quickly notified the coalition of naval forces in the region of the attack. Direct communication was opened with Russian naval ship the Admiral Panteyev, which was 120 miles from the site of the incident," the statement said.
No one onboard was injured.
The Liberian-flagged ship and its cargo of 83,000 tons of mazut fuel oil are continuing to Singapore, the statement said. An initial inspection of the tanker found no damage.
The attack highlights the problems facing shippers in the key Gulf of Aden shipping route, which has been plagued in recent months by attacks from increasingly dangerous and well-equipped Somali pirates.
Pirates are holding at least six Russian citizens hostage, Prime-Tass reported earlier this month, citing sources in Kenya and Russia.
In February, hijackers released the Ukrainian ship MV Faina, along with its crew and cargo of 33 tanks, for ransom after holding it for five months. The ship's captain died of a suspected heart attack shortly after the seizure.
The Navy has joined other military powers in stepping up patrols in the region. Four Russian ships, including the Admiral Panteyev, were recently deployed to the waters off Somalia, each with a military team trained in anti-piracy tactics, Itar-Tass reported.
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