On January 25, three Ukrainian sailors who were released from Yemeni captivity returned to Ukraine. They were crew members of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, which was captured by Yemeni Houthis on November 19, 2023. This was reported by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
The sailors returned to Odesa and met with their families.
The Houthis seized the Galaxy Leader on November 19, 2023, shortly after the group promised to attack any vessels with ties to Israel.
The vessel was sailing from Turkey to India under the Bahamas flag and was leased by a Japanese company. The Houthis explained that they seized the ship because it belonged to the British company Ray Car Carriers. One of its co-owners is Israeli businessman Rami Unger.
