After Houthi attack:

British freighter in danger of sinking off Yemen

The British freighter Rubymar (in an archive photo from November 2022) is in danger of sinking off the coast of Yemen.

(Bild: AFP/Ozan Kose)

The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has reportedly hit a cargo ship so hard off the coast that it could sink. It was the British ship Rubymar, a Houthi spokesperson said (see video above).

According to the spokesperson, "a number of suitable naval missiles" had been used. The ship was hit hard and came to a complete standstill. Due to the considerable damage to the freighter, there is now a risk that it will sink in the Gulf of Aden.

The British maritime protection provider Ambrey announced on Sunday that a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo ship flying the flag of Belize had been attacked off the coast of Yemen. The crew had abandoned the ship after an explosion and were safe.

The British freighter Rubymar (in an archive photo from November 2022) is in danger of sinking off the coast of Yemen.

(Bild: AFP/Ozan Kose)

Another freighter attacked off Mocha
Previously, the Liberian-flagged freighter Master had already reported an explosion in the immediate vicinity in the Red Sea, as the UKMTO, which belongs to the British Navy, reported on Sunday evening.
The ship was reported to have been damaged. The incident occurred 35 nautical miles (65 kilometers) from the port city of Mokka (al-Mukha) on the coast of Yemen. Just a week ago, a freighter was attacked with two missiles off the port city - krone.at reported.

The ship is anchored, the entire crew has left it and is safe. Military authorities remain on the scene to provide assistance, the UKMTO wrote on X (formerly Twitter, see post below) on Monday Ships are advised to be cautious and report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO.

The militant Islamist Houthi from Yemen have recently repeatedly attacked ships on the important sea route through the Suez Canal. By firing on merchant ships, the militia wants to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, which followed the unprecedented massacre by the Islamist Hamas in Israel on October 7.

EU states decide on military operation
 The foreign ministers of the EU states decided on Monday in Brussels to launch a new military operation to secure merchant shipping in the region. The plan for Operation Aspides envisages sending European warships to the Red Sea and neighboring sea areas to protect merchant ships from such attacks.

One of the most important shipping routes for world trade runs along Yemen, through which freighters from the Indian Ocean reach the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal in Egypt.