Captain of hijacked boat dies of heart attack

Published time: 29 Sep, 2008 02:07Edited time: 29 Sep, 2008 06:07

The Russian captain of a Ukrainian flagged vessel seized by pirates off the coast of Kenya on Thursday night has reportedly died of a heart attack. The 20 strong crew of the ‘Faina’ including Russians, Lithuanians and Ukrainians have been held captive s

Ukrainian Defence Minister, Yury Yekhanurov, said that 33 T-72 tanks, grenade launchers and a large amount of ammunition Ukraine had sold, to Kenya’s government, are on board.
International warships are monitoring the movements of the hijacked ship to prevent any possible unloading of tanks and ammunition ashore.

Russia’s Navy Central Command has sent the patrol ship ‘Neustrashimy’ (Fearless) to the coast of Somalia, with sea piracy remaining a serious threat to shipping in waters off the Horn of Africa. Navy spokesman Captain Igor Dygalo stated

“In the future, the Russian Navy will occasionally send ships to patrol regions that pose a danger because of sea piracy. Their objective will be to protect the life of Russian citizens and ensure safe navigation,” Navy spokesman Captain Igor Dygalo said.

Sea piracy still remains a big problem in African seas.