Russia has dispatched a warship to the pirate-ridden waters off Somalia, after a Ukrainian freighter was seized on Thursday.
Andrew Mwangura of the Seafarers Assistance Programme said the cargo ship had been transporting 2,320 tonnes of military hardware from the Baltic.
Igor Dygalo, Russia's Navy spokesman, said their frigate, the Neustrashimy (Fearless), was dispatched on Friday in response to "the rise in pirate attacks, including against Russian citizens".
"In the future, the Russian navy will send its ships on a regular basis to zones where there is a danger from maritime piracy," Dygalo told Russia's Vesti-24 television station.