Operation Atalanta says it will take ‘appropriate action’ to help the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite.
Published On 7 Nov 20257 Nov 2025
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A European Union anti-piracy force has reached the Maltese-flagged merchant tanker Hellas Aphrodite, which pirates had boarded off Somalia on Thursday, the EU naval mission Operation Atalanta said.
The entire crew of 24 people was safe and no injuries have been reported, Operation Atalanta said in a statement on Friday.
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It said “an early show of force” by the ESPS Victoria encouraged the pirates to flee the vessel, without elaborating. The operation included a helicopter, a drone and another aircraft alongside the frigate.
“The threat assessment in the area surrounding the incident remains critical,” Operation Atalanta warned.
“The mother ship and the pirates remain in the area. A coordinated joint operation is ongoing to intercept the dhow used in this attack.”
Tracking data showed that the ship was more than 1,000km (620 miles) off the Somali coast, according to The Associated Press news agency.
The private security firm Ambrey said Thursday’s assault appeared to have been carried out by the same group of Somali pirates who recently captured an Iranian fishing boat, which they have subsequently been using as a base for their operations.
As the EU naval force neared the Hellas Aphrodite on Friday, the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) said another vessel had been unsuccessfully targeted by pirates on Friday.
In an alert published on X, UKMTO, which urged ships in the area to “transit with caution”, said the captain of a liquified natural gas tanker reported a boat approaching its stern, 528 nautical miles (equivalent to about 980km) southeast of Eyl, Somalia.
“The small craft fired small arms and RPGs towards the vessel,” it said, noting that the larger ship escaped by increasing its speed.
After piracy off the Somali coast peaked in 2011 with 237 attacks, the threat receded as a result of international naval patrols and the strengthening of the Somali government.
However, there have been a number of piracy incidents in the region over the last year.
In 2024, there were seven reported incidents off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau. So far this year, multiple fishing boats have been seized by Somali pirates. The Hellas Aphrodite represents the first commercial ship seized by pirates off Somalia since May 2024.