Ukrainian foreign ministry and intelligence successfully free sailors from Houthi captivity
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Three Ukrainian sailors who were captured during the seizure of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in November 2023 have been released thanks to a joint operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ukraine's intelligence.
The MFA reported this.
As noted in the diplomatic department, they will soon return home.
According to the MFA, the released sailors are safe under the care of Ukrainian diplomats. They are in good physical condition, and have all the necessary documents.
The department expressed gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their mediation and support in the release of Ukrainian citizens.
"We are counting on further active development of bilateral relations after the opening of a foreign diplomatic mission of Ukraine," the MFA added.
According to the intelligence, the released sailors are already heading to meet their families, after which rehabilitation will await them.
The operation to free the sailors lasted more than a year and included a complex informal negotiation process with the Houthis and other parties involved.
The first contact with the captured Ukrainians was established on April 3, 2024, five months after the ship was seized.
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It should be noted that in November 2023, Yemeni Houthis seized the Bahamas-flagged cargo ship Galaxy Leader with an international civilian crew in the Red Sea. At that time, 25 crew members from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Mexico, and Ukraine were on board.
The incident occurred several hours after Iranian-backed Houthi militants, who have been waging a civil war against the Yemeni government since the 1990s, vowed to attack Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel's response to the October 7 attacks.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that there were no Israeli citizens on the hijacked vessel and stated that the Galaxy Leader was not an Israeli ship.
It is worth adding that the Houthis, who seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014 and control large areas of the country, are "part of the axis of resistance" directed against Israel along with Hamas, which is supported by Iran.
In January 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that four Ukrainian sailors were being held captive by the Houthis and confirmed that Ukraine was working on their release.
