A RUSSIAN anti-submarine destroyer, 'Marshal Shaposhnikov,' has docked at the Dar es Salaam Port for a five-day tour of the country. The ship is part of efforts to fight piracy on high seas.

As vessels using the Indian Ocean and other waters such as the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea have increasingly been at risk of pirates, the international community sought to intervene to keep the waters safe.

In establishing a security agreement, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution that gives states permission to send warships to the maritime belt of Somalia. In accordance with the resolution, the leading maritime powers devote significant forces to patrol the shipping routes in areas of known pirate activities.

While the EU activity against pirates, as a part of operation "Atalanta", is well known in the East African Community, Russia, India and China are currently the only countries engaging in wider vessels escorts.

The Russian Navy Pacific Fleet unit which is tasked with the duty consists of large antisubmarine destroyer 'Marshal Shaposhnikov', rescue tug boat 'Alatau' and seagoing tanker 'Irkut' that conduct anti-piracy mission and provides shipping security on the Indian Ocean.

The detachment left Vladivostok (home port) on October 2. In its tour, the vessel has visited ports of India, Thailand, South Korea, Djibouti, Iran, and Seychelles and took part in joint exercise INDRA-2012 with Indian Navy.