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A merchant ship has been hijacked and is currently en route to Somalia, British Marine Trade Operations said.
The maritime authority said the crew of the European Naval Forces Operation Atalanta flagship, Victoria, a Spanish ship, were no longer in control of the ship, although they are all currently safe.
The ship is currently approximately 680 nautical miles east of Bosaso, Somalia. It is currently unknown how many sailors are on board.
Spanish warships were deployed to investigate the kidnapping, the EU's anti-Somali piracy unit said.
“Based on the first available information about MV Ruen, the flagship of EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA, the Spanish ship Victoria, is moving quickly towards the ship suspected of being hijacked by pirates in order to gain more attention and assess the following actions,” the said EU force in a statement to Portal.
EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta's flagship, Victoria (pictured), is en route to Somalia to investigate the possible hijacking
The statement added that it was coordinating with the broader international Marine Combined Maritime Force.
The Maltese-flagged vessel, a bulk carrier measuring 607 feet long and 102 feet wide at its widest point, is managed by Bulgarian navigation Maritime Bulgarian, according to public shipping database Equasis.
Data from MarineTraffic.com suggests the ship, built in 2016, was intercepted en route from Gwangyang, South Korea, to Gemlik, Turkey.
The ship's hijacking appears to be the first major attack by Somali pirates since 2019, after international naval anti-piracy efforts stopped such hijackings in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The Victoria, the ship in charge of the investigation, is a frigate commissioned in 1987 that is more than 455 feet long and 46 feet wide at its widest point.
The ship has a top speed of 29 knots, or about 53 km/h, and can carry up to 233 sailors, including 13 officers.
It can carry up to 32 SM-1MR anti-air/anti-ship missiles and up to eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
The Victoria also has an OTO Melara naval gun capable of firing up to 85 rounds per minute, with each shell carrying a 13-pound warhead.
Operation Atalanta is the EU's ongoing military operation to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa, aiming to protect merchant ships heading to Somalia.
It also protects ships from the World Food Program and the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
Atalanta was the EU's first-ever naval operation, which said it arrested 171 pirates as a result of the military operation.
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