Ukrainian sailors rescued from Houthi captivity arrive in Odesa

Ukrainian sailors, freed from captivity through an operation led by the GUR of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, have arrived in Odesa. On January 25, they had an emotional reunion with their families at the regional military-civilian administration building.

This was reported by Rubryka, citing the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

"I still can't believe I'm home… I am deeply grateful to everyone involved, especially the representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate. They were the first to contact us. After that conversation, all doubts and fears disappeared—they knew about us and were determined to bring us back," said Vitalii, one of the sailors released from captivity.

"What happened today is the result of coordinated, long-term efforts by a large number of people. The special operation was carried out on the instructions of the President of Ukraine, with comprehensive support from the Royal Office of the Sultanate of Oman," said Olha Mosiondz, a representative of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, during a meeting with the sailors at the Odesa Regional State Administration.

It is worth recalling that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, successfully brought home three Ukrainian sailors. These crew members of the Galaxy Leader vessel had been held captive by Yemeni Houthis for 14 months, since November 2023.

In November 2023, the Yemeni Houthis seized the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, sailing under the flag of the Bahamas, while it was in the Red Sea. The vessel carried an international civilian crew of 25 members, including individuals from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Mexico, and Ukraine.

This incident occurred just hours after Iran-backed Houthi rebels—engaged in a civil war against Yemen's government since the 1990s—threatened to target Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel's response to the October 7 attacks.