Houthis freed sailors from Galaxy Leader ship: Ukrainians were among the crew
22.01.2025 - 17:50
Yemeni Houthis have released the crew of the commercial vessel Galaxy Leader. It is known that Ukrainians were among the crew.
The Houthis have released sailors from the Galaxy Leader vessel, which was seized in the Red Sea in November 2023, the AP reports.
The rebels said they freed the sailors through the mediation of Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, which has long been negotiating with the Houthis.
A Royal Oman Air Force plane flew to Yemen on January 22 and took off again about an hour after the Houthis announced the release of the sailors.
Houthi representatives claim that Hamas separately requested the release of the ship’s crew of 25 people, including sailors from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico. This is due to the ceasefire plan between the movement and Israel, which provides for the release of hostages.
“This step is in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza,” the Houthis said in a statement.
The Galaxy Leader has been in Yemen since it was seized by Yemeni Houthis on November 19, 2023, while sailing from Turkey to India.
The UK-based Ray Car Carriers and the Philippine government have repeatedly called for the release of the crew members. Seventeen of the crew members are from the Philippines, three from Ukraine, two each from Bulgaria and Mexico, and one from Romania.
In August, the Philippine Foreign Ministry reported that several members of the Filipino crew were experiencing “significant health problems.” The report said that they had symptoms of malaria.
As a reminder, the European Parliament had previously called for the release of a ship with Ukrainian sailors captured by the Houthis. Ukraine has also called for the release of the Galaxy Leader crew.
