MOSCOW, April 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russian...

"The Russian Navy will continue patrols in the Gulf of Aden. A new convoy of commercial ships is being formed in the area, and our warships will escort it," Anatoly Serdyukov told reporters in Moscow.

The minister also confirmed the detention of a pirate vessel off the Somali coast by a Russian warship.

The Admiral Panteleyev missile destroyer, which joined anti-paracy operations in the Gulf of Aden on April 27, detained a boat carrying 29 suspected pirates off the Somali coast at about 6 p.m. Moscow time (14:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

The Defense Ministry said a Ka-27 helicopter from the Admiral Panteleyev fired warning shots after the pirate boat refused to stop and surrender.

A search of the detained vessel turned up seven Kalashnikov assault rifles and several handguns, as well as portable navigation equipment, fuel canisters and a large number of spent cartridges.

"According to preliminary information, there were Somali pirates and Iranian and Pakistani

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