Special Representative of the Russian President for Environmental Protection and Transport, Sergei Ivanov, issued an important announcement regarding an attempted ship hijacking in the Gulf of Aden.

The Special Representative of the Russian President warned of the catastrophic consequences of continuing piracy operations in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Ivanov said that incidents of ship seizures in the Middle East could lead to problems similar to those caused by Somali piracy.

Ivanov considered attempts to seize ships by people calling themselves rebels a matter of concern, according to the Russian "TASS" agency.

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder confirmed that initial indications indicate that these five individuals who attempted to seize the Central Park ship were Somalis. And that: “It is clear that the incident is related to piracy.”