Ship drifts around rudderless
Polish-Ukrainian freighter slowly sinks after Houthi attack
15.06.2024, 21:13
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One of the most important shipping routes for world trade runs through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. For months, the Houthi rebels have been exploiting this fact and have repeatedly fired rockets at Western merchant ships in solidarity with Hamas. A Polish-Ukrainian ship is in danger of sinking.
A merchant ship is in danger of sinking in the Red Sea following a rocket attack by the Yemeni Houthi militia. After the crew was evacuated, the ship is drifting unmanned off the coast of Djibouti and is sinking, according to the British authority responsible for the safety of merchant shipping, UKMTO. At the beginning of March, a heavily damaged cargo ship sank after a Houthi attack.
According to the US Central Command, the Houthi militia attacked the ship with two cruise missiles on Thursday. The cargo ship “Verbena” – operated by a Polish company and owned by Ukraine – was on its way to Italy with building materials on board. The attack caused a fire. A seriously injured sailor was evacuated first. A Houthi military spokesman confirmed that the militia had attacked the “Verbena”.
According to previous reports from the British authority UKMTO, the crew brought the fire under control and continued their journey to the next scheduled stop. Eventually, however, the crew was brought to safety and the ship was left to its fate.
Important shipping route
At the beginning of March, a badly damaged cargo ship sank off the coast of Yemen, almost two weeks after an attack by the Houthi militia. The US military warned of an environmental disaster because the “Rubymar” was carrying around 41,000 tons of fertilizer.
One of the most important shipping routes for world trade runs through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. In recent months, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked civilian cargo ships there. The militia says it is acting in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The USA, Great Britain and their allies therefore also repeatedly attack Houthis’ targets in Yemen. The militia is allied with Iran and, according to the US government, is also financed by Tehran.