{{Short description|Ukrainian shipping company}} '''Kaalbye Shipping International Ltd''' or '''Kaalbye Group''' is a Ukrainian shipping company which is mostly involved in the transport of military equipment.
==History==
The company is headquartered in Odesa, Ukraine but officially registered in the British Virgin Islands. They have branches in other countries such as Belize and work in commercial, chartering and technical management of cargo fleet.
In May 1998, they{{Who|date=January 2012}} obtained a Safety Management Certificate which permitted them to run passenger ships in compliance with the requirements of the International Safety Management Code. Annually Kaalbye Shipping transports more than 800,000 tonnes of cargo. In 2000 they purchased the ''MS Shota Rustaveli'', built in 1968.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://maritime-union.com/company/kaalbye-shipping-international-ltd |title=Kaalbye Shipping International LTD. |access-date=2018-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213195105/https://maritime-union.com/company/kaalbye-shipping-international-ltd |archive-date=2018-02-13 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== List of ships == {{Unreferenced section|date=June 2022}} *215613 – OCEAN FORCE Barge Carrier1983 Belize *9111216 – OCEAN VOYAGER General Cargo Ship1 St Vincent and Grenadines *9117753 – LS AIZENSHTAT Container Ship St Vincent and Grenadines *9179842 – OCEAN ENERGY Ro-Ro Cargo Ship Liberia *9179854 – OCEAN POWER Ro-Ro Cargo Ship Liberia *9512422 – OCEAN WINNER General Cargo Ship Liberia *9512434 – OCEAN FORTUNE General Cargo Ship Liberia
==Operations==
===2008 MV Faina incident===
On September 25, 2008, a ship named the ''MV Faina'', heading to Mombasa in Kenya (with an alleged end destination of South Sudan) with T-72 tanks and other small arms and ammunition, was captured by Somali pirates. A ransom of $3.2 million was paid for the ship's release.<ref name=sun>{{cite news|url=http://www.sundayherald.com/international/shinternational/display.var.2453784.0.0.php|title=Pirates call all the shots|publisher=Sunday Herald|accessdate=2008-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001002509/http://www.sundayherald.com/international/shinternational/display.var.2453784.0.0.php|archive-date=2008-10-01|url-status=live}}</ref> Some sources have reported Kaalbye as the owning and operating company of the ship,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/01/content_10139866.htm |title=Talks begin to free seized Ukrainian ship |access-date=2008-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004032958/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/01/content_10139866.htm |archive-date=2008-10-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> <ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1847064,00.html | magazine=Time | first=Alex | last=Perry | title=Arrr! The Somali Pirates and Their Troublesome Treasure | date=October 3, 2008 | access-date=October 11, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006001516/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1847064,00.html | archive-date=October 6, 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.segodnya.ua/news/12079679.html|title=Греческий сухогруз Faina на самом деле украинский?|date=October 15, 2008|work=Segodnya|language=Russian|access-date=2008-11-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520072854/http://www.segodnya.ua/news/12079679.html|archive-date=May 20, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> though a call to the company could not confirm ownership.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/nation/30052 |title=Somali pirates holding Ukrainians hostage |access-date=2008-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002131405/http://www.kyivpost.com/nation/30052 |archive-date=2008-10-02 |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Center for Advanced Defense Studies report and lawsuit===
On April 11 2014, the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a Washington, D.C.–based conflict research group, filed a complaint requesting a declaratory judgment and anti-suit injunction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia against Kaalbye Shipping International Ltd, Global Strategic Communications Group (Kaalbye's public relations firm) and Peter Hannaford, senior consultant at GSCP, for shipping arms to Syria, China, Venezuela, and Angola. A report published by C4ADS alleges that Kaalbye Group is closely affiliated with powerful politicians in Russia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/05/21/sympathy-for-the-devils/ |title=Sympathy for the Devils – Foreign Policy |access-date=2018-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213195117/http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/05/21/sympathy-for-the-devils/ |archive-date=2018-02-13 |url-status=live }}</ref> The report was cited in the Washington Post and other media.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.vocativ.com/world/ukraine-world/huge-ukrainian-arms-shipper-going-tiny-ngo/ |title=Why is a Huge Ukrainian Arms Shipper Going After a Tiny NGO? |work=Vocativ |date=16 May 2014 |access-date=2018-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214014457/http://www.vocativ.com/world/ukraine-world/huge-ukrainian-arms-shipper-going-tiny-ngo/ |archive-date=2018-02-14 |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Arms to Syria=== Kaalbye has been accused of sending arms to Syria to be used in that country's civil war.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/ukrainian-port-eyed-as-analysts-seek-syrias-arms-source/2013/09/07/f61b0082-1710-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html |title=Ukrainian port eyed as analysts seek Syria's arms source - the Washington Post |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2018-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202180044/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/ukrainian-port-eyed-as-analysts-seek-syrias-arms-source/2013/09/07/f61b0082-1710-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html |archive-date=2018-02-02 |url-status=live }}</ref> Kaayble Group has disputed the allegations and the Washington Post would post a correction apologizing for supporting the allegations.<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kaalbye-shipping-international-urges-further-corrections-to-inaccurate-reports-that-falsely-accuse-the-shipping-company-of-transporting-cargo-to-syria-and-disabling-ship-transponder-equipment-252696271.html |title=Kaalbye Shipping International Urges Further Corrections to Inaccurate Reports that Falsely Accuse |access-date=2018-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213195359/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kaalbye-shipping-international-urges-further-corrections-to-inaccurate-reports-that-falsely-accuse-the-shipping-company-of-transporting-cargo-to-syria-and-disabling-ship-transponder-equipment-252696271.html |archive-date=2018-02-13 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kaalbye-shipping-international-vindicated-by-washington-post-correction-to-september-2013-report-that-inaccurately-accused-the-shipping-company-of-transporting-cargo-to-syria-and-disabling-a-ships-transponder-equipment-244891251.html |title=Kaalbye Shipping International Vindicated by Washington Post Correction to September 2013 Report |access-date=2018-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213195110/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kaalbye-shipping-international-vindicated-by-washington-post-correction-to-september-2013-report-that-inaccurately-accused-the-shipping-company-of-transporting-cargo-to-syria-and-disabling-a-ships-transponder-equipment-244891251.html |archive-date=2018-02-13 |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Iraq===
In February 2018, in a legitimate arms sale, the Kaalbye-owned ship OCEAN ENERGY carried T-90S tanks from Ust-Luga in Russia to Umm Qasr in Iraq.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.kaalbye-group.com/about.html Official site] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20181016093459/http://kaalbye-group.com:80/about.html Archive Link - 16 October, 2018])
Category:Shipping companies of Ukraine
{{Ukraine-company-stub}}