The Rubymar sinks in the Gulf of Aden: the first cargo ship sunk by the Houthis since the start of the campaign
A cargo ship loaded with fertilizer has sunk in the Gulf of Aden less than two weeks after it was damaged by missiles from Yemen's Houthi rebels, the Yemeni government said. This is the first ship sunk, not just damaged, by rebel attacks.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the February 19 attack on the Rubymar , a Belize-flagged cargo ship operated by a Lebanese company, carrying combustible fertilizer.
The crew had abandoned ship and escaped after being hit by two missiles. The ship had departed from the United Arab Emirates and was headed to the Bulgarian port of Varna.
“The MV Rubymar sank last night, in conjunction with meteorological factors and strong winds at sea,” said the crisis cell of Yemen's internationally recognized government handling the case.
Roy Khoury, chief executive of ship operator Blue Fleet, said he was unaware of the sinking.
In satellite images shared by Maxar Technologies and published by AFP, the vessel appeared to leak fuel oil. The TankerTrackers website said the sinking would “cause an environmental catastrophe in (Yemeni) territorial waters and the Red Sea.”
“A spill of ammonium nitrate fertilizer into the sea could have several significant impacts on marine ecosystems,” said Julien Jreissati, Greenpeace's Middle East and North Africa program director.
The UKMTO maritime safety agency, run by the British navy, said the Rubymar was 65km from the Yemeni port of Mokha when its crew was forced to abandon it.
Rubymar was identified as a British national by US military and security firm Ambrey, but Khoury denied this information.
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The article Rubymar sinks in the Gulf of Aden: the first cargo ship sunk by the Houthis since the start of the campaign comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/affonda-la-rubymar-nel-golfo-di-aden-la-prima-nave-cargo-affondata-dagli-houthi-dallinizio-della-campagna/ on Sat, 02 Mar 2024 19:28:34 +0000.