ABOARD THE HSwMS CARLSKRONA - Russian special forces rappelled from a helicopter onto a disabled oil tanker taken over by Somali pirates, freeing 23 Russian sailors and arresting 10 pirates during a dawn raid on Thursday, the commander of the EU Naval Force said. One pirate was killed.

The raid against the Liberian-flagged ship Moscow Univeristy came 24 hours after the pirates had taken the ship over and the crew locked itself in a safe room. The vessel is carrying 86,000 tons of crude oil worth about $50 million.

The ship had been disabled and was not moving. Safe rooms, where crews seek shelter, are typically stocked with food, water and communications equipment and have reinforced doors that can only be opened from the inside.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Alexei Kuznetsov said the pirates are being held aboard the tanker.

Commander John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force, said the EU Naval Force had been working at a tactical level with the Russians, and that EU Naval Force personnel talked to the Russian crew by VHF radio. He said the EU had offered support to the Russians.

The attack occurred about 500 miles (800 km) east of the Somali coast. The ship was not registered with the Maritime Security Center, said Harbour. The ship's route was from the Red Sea to China, the ship's owner said.

The ship is owned by Novoship, a subsidiary of Sovcomflot, which is owned by the Russian government.

Associated Press

(China Daily 05/07/2010 page12)