The Bulgarian crew member of the 'Ruen' who was medevaced by an Indian Navy ship and transported to Indian hospital, was shot in hos shoulder and hit at the head with a rifle butt, because he didn’t obey the kidnappers’ orders. As of Dec 20, the ship remained anchored off the northeast coast of Somalia. Initially the he crew, had locked themselves in a safe room. The hijackers broke into the safe room and extracted the crew hours later. The crew consisted of Angolan, Bulgarian, and Myanmar nationals. The vessel was carrying a cargo of metals from the port of Gwangyang to Gemlik. The captain had confirmed the hijacking by sending a Mayday alert to the EU Naval Force's command centre.
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RUEN
The shipping company has not had direct contact with the 'Ruen' since late on Dec 14. The last signal from the security officer was that they were not in control of the vessel but that the crew was safe. Six perpetrators were aboard the vessel. The Indian Navy reported on Dec 16, that it had located the vessel and diverted its Naval Maritime Patrol aircraft undertaking surveillance in the region. The aircraft has overflown the vessel and supplied pictures. In addition, an Indian Navy's warship on anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden has now intercepted the 'Ruen'. The Indian Navy was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with other agencies.
RUEN
One crew member of Bulgarian nationality was medevaced from the 'Ruen' by a helicopter from an Indian Navy ship early in the morning of Dec 18 and transferred to a hospital, after he was badly injured in an accident on board. The hijackers allowed the medevac. The ship was taken to the northeastern Somalia coast in the Puntland region and probably anchored about 50 nautical miles northnortheast of Eyl town.
RUEN
The 'Ruen' was underway in the Gulf of Aden in Puntland waters, west from Horn of Africa, in the evening of Dec 17, sailing in loops at slow speed since around 6 p.m. UTC in front of the village Murcaayo, three days after it was hijacked with 17 crew members on boarden route from Gwangyang to Turkey aoubt 400 nautical miles east of Socotra island. The ship’s AIS remained on with Indian and Spanish Navy ships on its track.
RUEN
The 'Ruen' has reached a position nine miles offshore from Bander Murcaayo in Puntland on Dec. 17 in what is likely the first hijacking of a merchant vessel by Somali pirates since the 'Aris 13' in 2017. The hijack was assessed to be likely partly a consequence of political instability in Puntland with a possible criminal and opportunist risk. The European Union’s naval force EUNAVFOR was in close collaboration with the Somali local authorities and coordinating efforts for a comprehensive follow-up and sharing of information. The 'Ruen' last reported its position off the coast of Somalia on Dec 18 at 6.10 p.m. GMT.