EUROPEAN UNION OPERATION ATALANTA

EUROPEAN UNION OPERATION HEADQUARTERS

NAVAL FORCE

MEDIA BRANCH

ALLEGED HIJACK INCIDENT INVOLVING THE MALTESE FLAGGED

MERCHANT VESSEL RUEN

Rota, 15 December 2023 - The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Joint
Operations Centre in Rota (Spain) received yesterday an alert regarding the
alleged hijack of the Maltese-flagged merchant vessel RUEN, approximately
500Nm east of Socotra Island, in the North West Indian Ocean.
The situation is being closely monitored and assessed together with ATALANTA's
maritime security partners, Combined Maritime Forces in primis. The ESPS
PRESS RELEASE

Frigate Victoria, the EUNAVFOR unit at sea, has been directed to rapidly close
to the RUEN, in order to gather more information and evaluate further actions, in
coordination with partners.
EUNAVFOR remains vigilant to this and other recent piracy-related events in the
Area of Operations, the North West Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, encouraging
registration with Maritime Security Centre- Horn of Africa's Voluntary Registration
Scheme to ensure the most effective monitoring and response by ATALANTA
forces and their partners in countering maritime security threats.

EMAIL
This information may be used wholly or in part without the need to cite sources. Rota Naval Base
ES-OHQ-Rota
media@eunavfor.eu 11530 Rota, Cadiz (Spain)

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