>I go a bit further - IF there is another Russian ship taken, and the pirates kill their citizens as is threatened by this “spokesman”, the Russians will launch a major reprisal attack into the pirates’ “safehaven” ... if this starts a war with that “nation”, so be it.>
There is no nation to fight with. ‘Somalian pirates’ are actually a group of gangs.
They could be hurt badly by police means. I mean by BAD police means, not Mirandizing.
Cutting a few leaders into pieces, bulldozing a few communities giving a shelter to a gangs etc.
A set of standard means Russians successfully used against their muslim pals for centuries.
There are clearly identified towns these pirates operate and live in. The whole towns will pay the price. Bank on it.