Houthi-Held Russian Seafarer Leaves Yemen After 8-Month Detention Following Red Sea Ship Attack

A Russian seafarer who was held for around eight months after a Houthi attack on a cargo ship in the Red Sea has left Yemen and is returning home, according to officials in Sanaa.

The mariner, identified by Russian media as Aleksei Galaktionov, was injured when the Liberia-flagged cargo vessel Eternity C was attacked in July 2025.

He had been receiving medical treatment in Sanaa and was allowed to leave after completing his treatment.

Yemen’s Houthi-run foreign ministry said he was flown out on a United Nations aircraft in coordination with the UN envoy.

The ministry said the move came after communication with Russian officials and with Iran. It also said the same flight included other sick and stranded people travelling to and from Yemen.

Galaktionov was part of the crew of the Greek-operated vessel Eternity C, which had 22 crew members and three armed guards on board.

The ship was attacked over two consecutive days using sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades before it sank.

An official from the ship’s operator and a maritime security source said the rest of the crew were released in December 2025.

The Iran-backed Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships in the Red Sea. They said these attacks were in support of Palestinians during the Gaza war.

The group stopped the attacks after a ceasefire was announced in October last year.

The Eternity C was sailing towards the Israeli port of Umm al-Rashrash at the time of the attack.

References: Reuters, SABA