Ukraine's Intelligence and Foreign Ministry conduct operation to free Ukrainian sailors from Houthi captivity
Illustrative photo: Galaxy Leader (wikipedia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ukraine's Defense Intelligence conducted a joint operation to free three Ukrainian sailors from Houthi captivity. They will soon return home, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reports.
According to the Ministry, three Ukrainian sailors were detained during the capture of the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader in November 2023.
Currently, the freed sailors are safe and under the care of Ukrainian diplomats. All of them are in good physical condition, possess all necessary documents, and will soon return home.
The Ukrainian Ministry also expressed gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their attention to the fate of the sailors and for mediating their release from captivity.
"We look forward to further active development of bilateral relations following the opening of Ukraine's foreign diplomatic mission," the MFA added.
Details from Ukraine's Defense Intelligence
According to intelligence, the freed sailors are already on their way to reunite with their families, after which they will undergo rehabilitation.
The operation to free the sailors lasted over a year and involved a complex, unofficial negotiation process with the Houthis and other involved parties.
The first contact with the captured Ukrainians was established on April 3, 2024, five months after the ship's capture.
Capture of Galaxy Leader
In November 2023, Yemen's Houthis seized the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader, sailing under the flag of the Bahamas, with an international civilian crew in the Red Sea. At the time, the crew consisted of 25 members from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Mexico, and Ukraine.
مشاهد للعملية العسكرية النوعية للقوات البحرية اليمنية على السفينة الإسرائيلية والسيطرة عليها واقتيادها إلى الساحل اليمني - 19-11-2023م pic.twitter.com/xukot1li7g
— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) November 20, 2023
In January 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that four Ukrainian sailors were being held captive by the Houthis and confirmed that Ukraine was working on their release.
Yesterday, January 22, Western media reported that the Houthis had freed the crew of the Galaxy Leader vessel. However, at that time, there was no official confirmation.
