On the early afternoon of the 7 of November 2025, Operation ATALANTA forces liberated the Maltese-flagged Merchant Tanker HELLAS APHRODITE.
The crew, composed of 24 people, is safe and no injuries have been reported. Throughout the incident, they remained in the citadel in direct contact with ATALANTA.
After an early show of force of the Pirate Action Group (PAG) abandoned the Merchant Tanker. The flagship ESPS VICTORIA with her organic helicopter, the Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft, and the Special Operations Team were involved in the liberation of the Merchant Tanker.
The piracy attack took place on the 6 November morning, when the Merchant Tanker was boarded by a PAG active in the area. The boarding took place approximately 700 nautical miles from Mogadishu. When Operation ATALANTA got the alert, surface and air assets were immediate tasked with taking the appropriate actions to respond effectively, and lead the efforts.
Data and evidences about the incident are being gathered to support the legal prosecution of the alleged pirates, should they be captured. To this end, ATALANTA, in collaboration with its maritime security partners in the area of operations, is continuing the intensive search for the PAG still active in the area.
Collaboration with regional and international forces in the area has been key for the liberation of the Merchant Tanker HELLAS APHRODITE. In the operation, there has been participation from Puntland authorities, Combined Maritime Forces Japanese P3C aircraft, Seychelles Maritime Reconnaissance Patrol Aircraft and Spanish Joint Operations Command. Communications with the flag state of the merchant tanker, company owner and crewmembers were maintained permanent throughout ATALANTA Headquarters.
Incidents in the Indian Ocean
The threat assessment in the area surrounding the incident remains critical. The mother ship and the pirates remain in the area. A coordinated joint operation is ongoing to intercept the dhow used in this attack.
All assessment and recommendations are shared through the appropriate channels with the shipping operators and updated on the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) website (www.mscio.eu).
Operation ATALANTA strongly recommends merchant and other vulnerable vessels to register in the MSCIO's Voluntary Registration Scheme (VRS), to provide the most effective monitoring and response by ATALANTA forces and their partners in countering maritime security threats.
