NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates armed with automatic weapons boarded an oil tanker carrying $50 million of oil Wednesday but the ship’s Russian crew members locked themselves into a safe room to wait for a Russian warship rushing to the scene, a European Union naval spokesman said.
The pirates launched the attack on the Liberian-flagged ship, which is named the Moscow University, at dawn. Cmdr. John Harbour said the 23 crew members evaded the pirates for several hours while sending out distress calls. They locked themselves in a secure room when the pirates boarded.
The ship is carrying 86,000 tons of crude oil, worth roughly $50 million.
A Russian warship was heading to the ship at full speed but had not arrived by nightfall, Harbour said. He declined to say how long the warship would take to arrive or what action it might take, citing security.
