Ukrainian sailors held captive by Yemeni Houthis have been released.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has successfully evacuated three Ukrainian sailors who were crew members of the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader and held captive by Yemeni Houthis.

This was reported by the press service of the GUR MoD.

“Upon the directive of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, successfully evacuated three Ukrainian sailors, members of the crew of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, who had been held captive by Yemeni Houthis,” the statement reads.

The GUR specified that the operation to rescue the citizens of Ukraine took place with the comprehensive support and assistance of the Royal Office of the Sultanate of Oman.

Currently, the freed Ukrainian sailors are heading to reunite with their families. They will undergo rehabilitation.

It is reported that the operation to free the Ukrainians lasted over a year, involving “unofficial negotiations” with the Yemeni Houthis and “relevant parties concerning the situation around the detained cargo vessel.”

According to the intelligence officers, they first established contact with the captured sailors on April 3, 2024.

The Ukrainian sailors were captured by Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea on November 19, 2023.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that Yemeni Houthi rebels utilized data from Russian satellites to conduct drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.