Research vessel conducts anti-piracy drill en route to Antarctica

The research vessel “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” conducted training exercises while passing through a high-risk zone near Africa en route to Antarctica, the Naval Academy “N. Y. Vaptsarov” said on its website.

The crew was placed on heightened combat alert. The measure was taken due to the ship’s passage through waters with a high risk of pirate attacks. During the exercise, the crew practiced repelling boarding attempts from fast-moving vessels—a tactic frequently used by pirate groups in the area. The ship’s command clarified that the exercise was part of pre-planned emergency measures to protect the crew, the vessel, and the cargo being transported to the Bulgarian Antarctic base base on Livingston Island.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov