A Russian warship on Monday escorted a three-vessel...

He said the Admiral Chabanenko destroyer had provided cover for the Liberian-flagged Free Neptune, the Gibraltar-flagged Dollart and the Vietnamese-flagged Vinaship.

The Admiral Chabanenko from Russia"s Northern Fleet began escorting commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden on December 4.

A Russian task force comprising the Admiral Chabanenko and a support ship arrived in the Gulf of Aden in late November to resume Russia"s anti-piracy mission.

The Russian Navy has maintained a constant presence off the Horn of Africa, with each fleet dispatching warships on a rotational basis. Russia joined international anti-piracy efforts off the Somali coast in October 2008.

Pirates based in Somalia, which has been without an effective government since 1991, hijacked more than 35 vessels in 2009, and have already seized two this year.

MOSCOW, January 11 (RIA Novosti)