National Desk, 19th March: Bulgarian President Rumen Radev expressed gratitude to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Navy on Monday for the successful rescue operation of the hijacked cargo ship, MV Ruen, in the Arabian Sea last Friday.
In a statement on his X account, Radev thanked the Indian Navy for their brave action in rescuing the ship and its crew, which included seven Bulgarian citizens out of a total of 17 rescued individuals. Foreign Affairs Minister Mariya Gabriel also expressed her appreciation to the Indian Navy for their successful operation.
Responding to Gabriel’s gratitude, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated, “That’s what friends are for.”
The Indian Navy warship, INS Kolkata, thwarted 35 Somali pirates and ensured the safe evacuation of the crew members in the Arabian Sea on Saturday. The following day, the Indian Navy intercepted MV Ruen, compelling the Somali pirates to surrender.
Led by the Indian Navy and Marine Commando Force – MARCOS, the operation involved boarding the vessel and performing the rescue operation. INS Kolkata conducted the interception of Pirate Ship Ruen nearly 1,400 nm (2,600km) away from the Indian Coast, forcing the pirate ship to halt through measured actions.
The operation was further supported by INS Subhadra, HALE RPA, P8I maritime patrol aircraft, and MARCOS PRAHARs air-dropped by a C-17 aircraft, according to the statement by the Indian Navy.
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