Article Posted on : - Apr 07, 2009

A file photo of Admiral Vinogradov during a sea operation in an undisclosed location

BEIJING (BNS): Russia's Admiral Vinogradov destroyer arrived on Monday in the Chinese port of Zhanjiang on an official visit that followed a three-month tour of duty in the Gulf of Aden.

The destroyer and the Boris Butoma tanker are on their way to the home base in Vladivostok, Russia, after participating in anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast in Africa, according to Ria Novosti.

This is the first-ever visit of Russian naval vessels to Zhanjiang and will take part in a number of cultural and sporting events.

During its recent mission in the Gulf of Aden, the Admiral Vinogradov escorted 12 convoys comprising a total of 54 ships from 17 countries and let down several pirate attacks on various vessels. According to the United Nations, Somali pirates carried out at least 120 attacks on ships in 2008, resulting in combined ransom payouts of around $150 million.

The Admiral Panteleyev destroyer, a salvage tugboat, and a tanker will replace a task force led by the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer, which has been involved in the anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia since the beginning of January.

The Admiral Vinogradov is an Udaloy class missile destroyer, armed with anti-ship missiles, 30-mm and 100-mm guns, and Ka-27 Helix helicopters.