Somali Pirates Demand $10 Million Ransom for Seized Oil Tanker

Somali pirates have escalated their ransom demand for the hijacked oil tanker M/T Eureka, which carries eight Egyptian sailors, from $3 million to $10 million.

Media outlets have reported, citing relatives of the crew members, that conditions aboard the vessel have significantly deteriorated. The wife of engineer Mohamed Radi stated that her husband informed her during a phone call that the pirates have increased the number of armed guards on board and severely restricted food and water supplies.

Family members indicated that the crew initially remained silent about the hijacking to allow the UAE-based operating company time to negotiate. They added that after the company refused to pay the initial ransom, the pirates sharply increased their demand.

This incident occurs amidst a resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and waters off the Somali coast in 2026, fueled by regional instability, Red Sea tensions, and deteriorating economic conditions.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it has been monitoring the situation since the hijacking. Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati has directed the Egyptian Embassy in Mogadishu to coordinate with Somali authorities to secure the sailors' release.

The oil tanker Eureka, flying the Togolese flag and carrying approximately 2,800 tons of diesel, was hijacked on May 2 off the coast of Yemen's Shabwah Governorate by armed Somali pirates. The vessel, with a crew comprising sailors from Egypt and India, was subsequently taken into Somali territorial waters near the Puntland region.