UK cargo ship sinks after being struck by two Houthi missiles as crews flee

02 March 2024 , 19:49

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UK cargo ship sinks after being struck by two Houthi missiles as crews flee

A UK ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water.

The Belize-flagged Rubymar cargo ship was reported to have been sailing north, from Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates to Varna, Bulgaria, when it was struck by two missiles. It is the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of the Houthis' campaign over Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The sinking has been confirmed by Yemen's internationally recognised government, as well as a regional military official. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which watches over waterways in the Middle East, separately acknowledged the Rubymar had now sunk.

The crew of the ship were forced to flee and 'abandon ship' after coming under attack.

The ship was abandoned by its crew soon after it was damaged (Yemeni Al-Joumhouriya TV HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The ship had been drifting northward after being attacked on February 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Soon after the attack two weeks ago, a statement from the UKMTO said: "UKMTO has received a report of an incident 35 nautical miles south of Al Mukha, Yemen. Military authorities report crew have abandoned the vessel. Military authorities are on scene assisting. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO."

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Yemen's exiled government, which has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubymar sank late on Friday as stormy weather moved across the Red Sea. The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, though plans had been discussed about trying to tow the vessel to a safe port. The Iran-backed Houthis, who had falsely claimed the ship sank almost instantly after the attack, did not immediately acknowledge the ship's demise. The ship began to release oil after the missile struck, which caused water to enter the engine room.

The ship began to leak oil after the attack, which caused water to enter the engine room (US Central Command (CENTCOM)/AFP)

Prior to the sinking, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree issued a statement claiming the attack, saying the vessel was hit with "appropriate missiles" and was at risk of potentially sinking, adding: "The naval forces of the Yemeni armed forces carried out a specific military operation, targeting the British ship Rubymar with a number of appropriate naval missiles. As a result of the extensive damage the ship suffered, it is now at risk of potential sinking."

The Houthis have launched repeated strikes on international commercial shipping in the Red Sea since mid-November, forcing several shipping companies to reroute their vessels passing through the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to take a longer alternative route around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

Having to use the extended route has resulted in major delays and impacted companies including Suzuki, Tesla, BP, Shell, Qatar Energy, DHL, FedEx, Adidas, Marks & Spencer, Next, Primark, Sainsbury's, and Target. It has also added massive costs for fuel and the price of global shipping containers jumped by more than 300 percent between November and January. The UK and the US have been carrying out joint airstrikes against the Houthis in recent weeks to try and stop their attacks on shipping.

Paul Donald