DIU and MFA evacuate three Ukrainian sailors held captive by Yemeni Houthis
The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, evacuated three Ukrainian sailors, crew members of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, who were held captive by Yemeni Houthis.
This was reported by the press service of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Censor.NET informs.
On the instructions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, successfully evacuated three Ukrainian sailors, crew members of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, who were held captive by Yemeni Houthis.
Who helped in the operation?
The operation to rescue Ukrainian citizens was carried out with the full support and assistance of the Royal Office of the Sultanate of Oman. We express our sincere gratitude to our Omani partners for their assistance in the release of our people.
The released Ukrainian sailors are now on their way to meet their families. The guys are going to undergo rehabilitation.
The story of captivity and liberation
Our sailors were captured by the Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea on 19 November 2023.
A 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.
"Ukraine always makes efforts to fight for each of its citizens who are in trouble anywhere in the world," the DIU said.
What preceded it?
Earlier it was reported that Yemeni Houthis rebels backed by Iran released the crew of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader more than a year after they seized the Bahamas-flagged vessel off the Red Sea coast of Yemen. There were Ukrainian citizens on board the seized vessel.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships sailing in the Red Sea, claiming to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinians against Israel's "devastating air and ground war against HAMAS in Gaza".
