In the Gulf of Guinea, pirates attacked the tanker NAFELI II. On board the ship were sailors from Russia, Ukraine and Georgia. According to the portal Dryad Global, the attack took place in the Gulf of Guinea, about 170 kilometers from Nigeria, the tanker was sailing under the flag of Panama.
The tanker transmitted an attack signal using the SSAS system. Now the crew is safe, no information about the dead or wounded has been received. It is assumed that the attackers have already left the ship, RIA Novosti notes. It is not reported whether any of the sailors were taken hostage.
The Gulf of Guinea region is considered dangerous for sailors – pirates often attack ships of different countries there. For example, in September 2020, pirates attacked the Water Phoenix vessel, which was sailing under the flag of Liberia. They kidnapped the captain and one of the crew members, both Russian citizens. In total, there were seven Russians and 11 Filipinos on board. At the time of the attack, the ship was near Lagos. In the summer in the same area, pirates attacked the Curacao Trader tanker and took 15 people hostage.
Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea developed in the first decade of the century. Representatives of this structure are mainly well-armed gangs specializing in the theft of oil products. Sea pirates have become a serious threat to the global oil market. The Gulf of Guinea, a key center for oil production by eight West African exporting countries, has so far accounted for 21 pirate attacks and 90 percent of all kidnappings on the high seas.
