Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Twelve-year old Ukrainian girl makes desperate plea for help in freeing her father from pirates on the Ariana.

“Hi, my name is Alina Gerash­chenko. I am 12 years old. I am the daughter of Ariana's boatsman and want to tell you how my mom and I live now.

“My mom goes to the doctor. I also go to a psychiatrist because I get nightmares every day. Mom gets headaches very often and very often cries. I don’t want my mom to cry.

“God knows how much good or evil we have done. If we have done many bad things, we will go to hell. Where do you think you will go?

“Granny, father’s mom, lived with us for some time. She is very old and sick. We had to lie to her that everything is fine with daddy, that he’s working a lot and simply cannot call her.

“Today is Nov. 4. It is father’s birthday. But he is not home now. Wherever he was, he would always call granny and mother. But today, he will not call.

“When will my daddy come home? When? When? When? Do you want him to die? Do you want me to never see him again?

“To live or to die – you don’t decide. God does. It’s enough to deceive people. Enough.

"Set my father free.” – Letter from Alina Gerashchenko, daughter of Ariana boatsman Serhiy Gerashchenko, to ship owner Spyros Minas, asking that he pay ransom to pirates for release of 24 Ukrainians held hostage since May 2.