It was supposed to have been a routine trip to the Mediterranean to pick up a load of used cars.
But one september night last year, the M/V Faina was redirected to a southern Ukrainian port to take on a much more sinister cargo.
Sergey Melnikov
”…they started taking onboard, artillery and various combat vehicles. When I saw what they were loading, I started to have serious doubts.”
The young Ukrainian crew were told that they would be carrying weapons bound for Kenya and to Sudan, which is under an international weapons embargo.
Artyom Girzhev:
”The first mate told us we were headed for Kenya. All of the self-propelled systems would be off-loaded there. The rest, we would bring to Sudan. We were told there would be five such trips.”
Sergey Melnikov
”My gut kept telling me that I should get off this ship”
Early in the morning of the 25 th september the slow and ageing freighter entered the narrow Gulf of Aden. Without an escort, and without any additional security measures.
It soon found itself surrounded by three fast skiffs
Sergey Sarancha:
”We tried spraying them with the fire hoses. But the ship is old. There was simply not enough pressure in system. The pressure was so weak, that we used the hoses to take showers on hot days.”
The pirates opened fire with small arms and rocket propelled grenades. After less than 30 minutes the captain realized the battle was lost and gave the order to stop the engines.
Sergey Melnikov:
”So they captured us. I felt totally helpless. It was terrifying. You keep thinking. What comes next. What will happen to us. They pointed the guns at us and just said: ’Guys, you are our prisoners.’”
The pirates seemed well informed about the ship’s valuable cargo and quickly gave the order to set course for the lawless Somali coastline.
Meanwhile the whole crew was herded into a room of just 12 square meters.
Sergey Melnikov:
”Since we were loaded with weapons, we kept hoping that someone would pay our ransom pretty quickly. But we were wrong.”
At gun point the seamen are told to hand over any valuables, including money, cameras and phones. Anyone trying to hide stuff away would be shot..
Sergey Sarancha:
”They have guns”
23 Year old Sergey nonetheless decides to hide his mobile phone in his underpants.
He sets out to try and document their ordeal with its built-in camera.
Sergey Sarancha:
”It’s the second day of our imprisonment. It’s terribly hot in here.”
”This is our living room, so to speak.
Today his dramatic footage is probably the only existing video of conditions on board a pirated ship.
Sergey Sarancha:
”Shit, They’re coming. Cover me!. Cover me!”
”It was very dangerous, of course. I had to keep my phone hidden at all times. At the beginnning in the garbage bin. Then in empty cups, under the mattress.
(Footage: U.S. Navy Handout)
The next day, an American destroyer reached the scene to try and stop the pirates from taking weapons ashore. But the Americans kept a respectful distance.
Sergej Sarancha
”Is it a helicopter? It’s ours! No. An American Black Hawk.”
According to the crew, the pirates immediately made a scheme for fooling the Americans.
Sergey Melnikov:
”They wrapped mortars in blankets and took them away. Shells and grenades also”
Sergey Sarancha:
”They took machine guns from the tanks, grenade launchers and a lot of ammunition”.
Sergey Melnikov:
”All of this they hid in blankets and bags and took it with them”.
A few days after their capture the, the crew members are led out on the open deck.
The sailors are told to face the open sea, while the the pirates cock their guns.
Sergey Melnikov:
”My heart made a leap. I was sure this was the end. That they would shoot us. But then the pirates pointed their fingers, and we saw the american ship closing in. The pirates started laughing and made signs for us to wawe our hands. They just wanted them to see we were still alive.”
Back in the Ukraine, the ship and its cargo of possibly illegal weapons were starting to become a major embarassment to the government.
Neither the ship’s owner nor the government is prepared to negotiate for the crew’s release.
Soon rumours start to circulate that plans are being made to send Ukrainian special forces to recapture the ship: The sailors’ mothers then decide to take the matter in to their own hands.
Svetlana Mgeladze
”The reason we started working with this was that they were planning to take the ship back by force. They refused to pay the ransom for the crew, but wanted to retake it. If they had attemped that, none of them would have survived.”
Sergej Melnikov
”Guys, how many days have we been sitting here now?”
”...”
100 days after their capture the crew is still confined to their tiny room.
The ship is quickly running out of food and water.
And the pirates are getting increasingly nervous.
Artyom Girzhev
”They wanted to run the ship ashore. We explained them that if they did that, the cargo would probably explode. Since we had approcimately 7000 tons of ammunition on board, the explosion would surely rip out a considerable chunk of the African continent.”
For Christmas the pirates decide to make a friendly gesture, and give the crew a bottle of scotch and a DVD player.
These are the pictures from their New Year’s eve party.
Sergey Melnikov
”They kept calling themselves ’soldiers”. They said: ’We’re soldiers, and as soon as your government pays us the money, we’re out of here.”
The Ukrainian government never paid off.
But in answer to the mothers’ increasingly public pleas for help, a Ukrainian businessman and philantropist finally donates the ransom of 3,2 million dollars.
Svetlana Mgeladze
”I don’t know what would have happened if not. Maybe they would have decided to retake the ship by force anyway. It was a war of nerves at the end. Who would give in first: The crew or the pirates.”
After stealing several boat-loads of guns and ammunition, the pirates leave the ship
And 134 days after the Faina’s capture American marines move in.
Artyom Girzhev
”We simplpy couldn’t understand we were free. We didn’t know if we should laugh or cry. Jump or dance. We were just overjoyed.”
Back in the port city of Odessa the crew of the Faina is still fighting to get economical compensation for the personal things that were stolen.
Many of them are struggling with psychological and medical problems as a result of their ordeal.
Artyom Girzhev
”We were carrying illegal weapons, everybody understands that. We saw a lot we should never have seen. And we know a lot we shouldn’t have known.
Sergey Melnikov:
”You never forget something like this. The memories will never disappear, even though I wish they would.”
During the past few months, piracy outside Somalia has increased dramaticallly.
The crew of the Faina and their families are convinced that the international community could have done much more to stop the piracy, and accuse the international shipping business of simply not paying any attention to the security of seafarers.
Svetlana Mgeladze
”We realize now that this was all a political game. The chips in that game were the lives of our children. They were just doing their jobs, but became hostages. Hostages in a big political game.”
Sergey Melnikov:
”Perhaps too many people make good money on this. Maybe the international community simply wants it to be going on. They should be paying more attention to people that are suffering because of it. Ordinary people who’re just doing their jobs and try and do the best they can to support their families.”
Copyright: Flimmerfilm A/S: www.flimmerfilm.no
Camera: Christer Fasmer
Video editor: Geir Ørnholt
Directed by Øystein Bogen
Executive Producer: Lars Løge
Music composed and performed by Olav Øyehaug