MV Faina

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MV Faina as observed from the guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf.
History
Ukraine
NameMV Faina
OwnerWaterlux AG[1]
OperatorTomex Team [1]/Kaalbye Shipping Ukraine [2]
BuilderLödöse Varv AB
Yard number179
IdentificationIMO number 7419377
General characteristics
Class and typeKM* L3
Tonnage3,280 long tons
Displacement13,650 long tons
Draught6.72 m (22.0 ft)
Depth13.35 m (43.8 ft)
Speed15.0 knots (27.8 km/h; 17.3 mph)
Crew21

The MV Faina (Ukrainian: Фаїна) is a Ukrainian cargo ship that sails under the flag of Belize.[2] The Faina is owned by Waterlux AG of Panama City, Panama[1], and managed by either Waterlux's subsidiary, Tomex Team of Odessa, Ukraine,[1] or Kaalbye Shipping Ukraine.[3]

The ship was captured by Somali pirates on September 25, 2008, in the 26th such attack in 2008.[4] The Faina's crew consisted of 17 Ukrainians, 3 Russians and 1 Latvian, and among them was a 14-year-old boy.[4][5] On September 28, Viktor Nikolsky, the Faina's first mate, said that Vladimir Kolobkov, the ship's Russian captain, had died from a hypertension-related stroke.[6][7][8]

Hijacking

A photo from the USS Howard shows Somali pirates in small boats who hijacked the MV Faina.

On September 25, 2008, the Faina was hijacked by about 50 Somali pirates from the Somalia Youth Coast Guard,[2][8] also identified as the "Central Regional Coast Guard."[9] The ship was allegedly headed to Mombasa, Kenya, from Ukraine with 33 Soviet made T-72 tanks, weapons including rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns,[4] and ammunition on board, when it was captured.[10] The pirates said they were unaware of the ship's cargo before they captured it.[11] However, the pirates claim that documents found onboard indicate the weapons cargo was destined for Juba, in southern Sudan, instead of to Kenya as originally understood.[2]

The pirates demanded US$20 million (€14.4 million) in ransom for the ship, and promised that they would fight to the death if attacked.[6] At first the pirates demanded US$35 million, but reduced the demand.[12] The pirates are thought to be attempting to move toward the pirate haven of Eyl in Somalia in an attempt to unload some of the cargo there.[4] Sugule Ali, a spokesman for the pirates onboard the Faina said that "...There is no shortage of food supply and all the crew members are healthy and well including ours."[13]

The American destroyer USS Howard, the Ticonderoga class Aegis missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf,[2] along with two Royal Navy Type 23 frigates,[citation needed] engaged the Faina in pursuit within several hundred yards to prevent the pirates from unloading the cargo.[2] As of October 1, at least five warships have surrounded the Faina and the Russian missile frigate Neustrashimy is en route.[6] US helicopters[3] and planes of an unknown origin have also been flying over the Faina.[14] Warships from the United States and other navies have blockaded the MV Faina in a port off Somalia's Indian Ocean coast.[15] However, pirates are attempting to unload small weapons from the cargo near the village of Hinbarwaqo, even while warned not to by the surrounding navy ships.[16]

On the ship, tensions have been reported to rise and a fight between rival pirates may have resulted in the death of three pirates.[17] However, this report was denied by the pirates, instead saying that they were celebrating Eid ul-Fitr, and were "...happy on the ship, and we are celebrating."[8]

International reactions

Russia, Somalia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States are cooperating to try to recover the ship.[6]

Kenya said that they will refuse to cooperate or negotiate with the pirates.[6]

Puntland Minister of Fisheries Ahmed Said Aw-nur advocated storming the Faina with European or American commandos, saying, "A military operation has to be taken."[7] On October 1, Mohammed Jammer Ali, the acting Somalian Foreign Minister, said, "The international community has permission to fight with the pirates."[18]

The Somalian insurgency group Al-Shabaab advised the pirates to "either burn down the ship and its arms or sink it" if the ransom was not paid.[19]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ a b c "WATERLUX AG". rs-head.spb.ru. Retrieved 2008-10-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e "Confusion looms over ownership of seized Ukrainian military cargo". Xinhua. 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  3. ^ a b Kennedy, Elizabeth A. (2008-09-29). "US Navy watches seized ship with Sudan-bound tanks". AP. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  4. ^ a b c d "Pirates call all the shots". Sunday Herald. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  5. ^ Wadhams, Nick (September 26, 2008). "Somali Pirates' Unexpected Booty: Russian Tanks". TIME. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Pirates Demand Ransom Of Millions". Sky News. Retrieved 2008-09-29. {{cite news}}: |first= has numeric name (help); |first= missing |last= (help)
  7. ^ a b Gettleman, Jeffrey (2009-09-28). "Tensions Rise Over Ship Hijacked Off Somalia". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  8. ^ a b c Hassan, Mohamed Olad (2008-09-30). "Pirates say they celebrated Muslim holiday on ship". AP. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  9. ^ Gettleman, Jeffrey, Q. & A. With a Pirate: “We Just Want the Money”, The New York Times (October 1, 2008) http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/q-a-with-a-pirate-we-just-want-the-money/
  10. ^ Gettleman, Jeffrey (September 26, 2008). "Somalia Pirates Capture Tanks and Global Notice". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  11. ^ "Pirates' spokesman: We want money, not arms". Free Press. 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
  12. ^ "US destroyer guardsship [sic] seized by pirates". The Independent. 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  13. ^ Pflanz, Mike (2008-09-28). "US warship challenges Somalia pirates". Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  14. ^ Hassan, Mohamed Olad (2008-09-28). "Somali pirates want $20M ship ransom; crewman dies". AP. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  15. ^ "US Navy plays waiting game with surrounded Somali pirates". AFP. 2008-10-01. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
  16. ^ Crilly, Rob (2008-09-29). "Islamists plunder weapons from hijacked ship in Somalia". Times. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  17. ^ "Three pirates shot dead in ship hijack drama". The Standard. 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  18. ^ Hassan, Mohamed Olad (2008-10-01). "Somalia: World can use force against the pirates". AP. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
  19. ^ "Somali Islamists tell pirates to destroy Ukrainian arms ship". AFP. 2008-09-02. Retrieved 2008-10-03.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to IMO 7419377.
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