Sailors rescued from Yemeni captivity return to Ukraine

Three Ukrainian sailors who were released from Yemeni captivity returned to Ukraine on January 25. They were members of the crew of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, which was captured by Yemeni Houthis on November 19, 2023.

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

The sailors returned to Odessa and met with their families.

“I still don’t realize that I’m home… I’m very grateful to everyone involved, especially the representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate. They were the first to contact us. After this conversation, there were no more doubts or fears – they know about us, they will return us,” said Vitaliy, who was released from captivity.

What preceded

The Houthis captured the Galaxy Leader ship on November 19, 2023 — shortly after the group vowed to attack any vessels associated with Israel.

The ship was sailing from Turkey to India under the flag of the Bahamas and was chartered by a company from Japan. The Houthis explained that they seized the ship because it belongs to the British company Ray Car Carriers. One of its co-owners is Israeli businessman Rami Unger.

In January 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that four Ukrainian sailors were being held captive by the Yemeni Houthis. He did not provide any details, but it is likely that he was referring to the Galaxy Leader ship that the Houthis had captured.

On the evening of January 15, 2025, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. The Houthis then announced that they would voluntarily abide by the agreement and suspend attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

The media reported on the release of the Galaxy Leader crew on January 22. And on January 23, Ukraine evacuated its citizens.

• Houthi attacks on ships have been ongoing since late 2023, causing most Western container ships to bypass the Red Sea and take a much longer route around South Africa on voyages between Asia and Europe throughout 2024. This has increased shipping times, prices, and tariffs.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine please follow us on X.