Somali pirates are demanding a ransom of 35 million dollars for a Ukrainian ship carrying 33 tanks destined for Kenya, a spokesman for the pirates said Saturday, according to DPA. Januna Ali Jama said that the equipment on board included "weapons of all kinds" and was very valuable to its owners, Mogadishu-based Radio Garowe reported. Piracy is rife in the Gulf of Aden - a strategic shipping route off Somalia - with over a dozen ships currently in the hands of armed groups, the latest victim being a Greek vessel seized Saturday. The ransom being asked for the Belize-flagged Ukrainian ship, named Faina, far exceeds previous demands, which usually hover around the 1-2 million-dollar mark. The ship was seized late Thursday off Somalia as it headed for the Kenyan port of Mombasa. Ukraine's Defence Minister Yury Yekhanurov told reporters in Kiev the vessel was transporting 33 medium T-72 tanks "and a substantial amount of military materials." Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua said Friday that the equipment was for use by the Kenyan military. Armoured personnel carriers and munitions are also believed to be part of the delivery. A total of 21 crewmembers were onboard - 17 Ukrainians, three Russians and one Latvian - when the ship was chased down and boarded by armed men in three launches.
