Ukraine Rescues Three Sailors Captured by Yemeni Houthis in HUR and MFA Special Operation

Three Ukrainian sailors held captive by Yemeni Houthi rebels since November 2023 have been successfully freed in a joint operation conducted by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR), according to the MFA press service on January 23.

The operation carried out on the orders of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ended the sailors’ captivity after their vessel, the Galaxy Leader, was seized by the Houthis in the Red Sea on November 19, 2023.

The MFA confirmed that the freed sailors are now safe, under the care of Ukrainian diplomats, and in good physical condition. They have all the necessary documentation and will return to Ukraine soon.

HUR disclosed that the complex operation to free them lasted more than a year and included a complex informal negotiation process with the Houthis and other parties involved in the situation around the detained cargo ship.

“Military intelligence officers established the first direct contact with the captured Ukrainians on April 3, 2024, and after five months of hard work, and assured the sailors that Ukraine was doing everything possible to release them,” HUR wrote.

On January 22, 2025, the citizens of Ukraine were released, HUR added.

“We thank our colleagues at the Defense Intelligence Directorate for the success of this joint operation to secure the release of Ukrainian citizens. We also extend our deepest gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman, for their mediation efforts that helped facilitate this release,” the MFA stated.

Earlier, HUR and the Ukrainian MFA carried out a successful evacuation operation, resulting in the safe return of 34 individuals from Syria. Among those evacuated were 31 Ukrainian citizens and three Syrian nationals, who are relatives of Ukrainians with legal rights to enter Ukraine.