The Greek merchant ship Tutor, carrying Russian coal, sank after an attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea,
reports , citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO). Interfax
The department clarified that the bulk carrier came under fire on June 12, 120 km southwest of the port city of Hodeidah. After the attack, the ship's crew was evacuated to the American missile cruiser Philippine Sea, and the bulk carrier itself was left to drift. One of the crew members, who was allegedly in the ship's engine room, is still missing.
The Houthi attack on Tutor was confirmed by the US Central Command (CENTCOM). “A Houthi uncrewed surface vehicle struck the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned and operated merchant vessel Tutor in the Red Sea. <…> The impact caused damage to the engine room,” the US military said in a statement. Several anti-ship missiles were also fired at the ship, but they did not reach their target.
Bulk carrier Tutor with a deadweight of 82 thousand tons, built in 2022, was en route from the Russian port of Ust-Luga to Jordan. He became the second victim of the Houthis - in March, as a result of an attack, the bulk carrier Rubymar sank with 20 thousand tons of nitrogen fertilizers on board.
After this, Yemeni rebels attacked the Verbena cargo ship, which belonged to Ukraine but was operated by Poland, with anti-ship missiles. The ship was engulfed in fire and began to sink off the coast of the Gulf of Aden, one of the sailors was seriously injured.
Yemeni rebels, who control large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, began attacking merchant ships passing the country's coast with drones and missiles in November 2023. They are doing this in response to the military operation that Israel organized in the Gaza Strip. At the end of May, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi said they had already fired at about 130 ships and promised to increase the frequency of attacks.
At the same time, the Houthis agreed with diplomats from Russia and China that they would not attack their ships. Pu, a Chinese-owned ship However, immediately after this, the rebels fired a missile at the M/V Huang that was sailing from a Russian port and was probably carrying Russian oil.
There is a group of Western warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which protect civilian shipping in these waters from Houthi attacks. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the United States and Great Britain for their warships striking Yemeni rebels. Russia and China said the UN Security Council did not authorize such strikes.
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