The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have evacuated Ukrainian sailors released from Houthi captivity. These are three crew members of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship.
The operation to rescue the Ukrainian citizens was carried out with the full support and assistance of the Royal Office of the Sultanate of Oman, the DIU said. The released Ukrainian sailors are now on their way to meet their families.
"The guys are waiting for rehabilitation. Our sailors were captured by the Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea on 19 November 2023. The complex operation to free them lasted more than a year and included a complex informal negotiation process with the Houthis and other parties involved in the situation around the detained cargo ship. Military intelligence officers established the first direct contact with the captured Ukrainians on 3 April 2024 — after five months of hard work, they assured the sailors that Ukraine was doing everything possible to release them. On 22 January 2025, the Ukrainian citizens were finally released," the intelligence officers said.
- After the Hamas attack on Israel, Yemeni Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea.
- The Houthis rule a large part of Yemen. Yesterday, US President Donald Trump returned the Houthis to the list of terrorist organisations.