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The sinking “Rubymar” (February 27th)
Photo:
AFP
The deep-sea freighter "Rubymar" sank off the Yemeni coast almost two weeks after it was attacked by Houthi militias.
This was reported by the internationally recognized Yemeni government based in Aden.
The “Rubymar” is registered in Great Britain and, according to the tracking service Vesselfinder, sails under the flag of Belize.
The US military warned of an environmental disaster a few days ago.
The “Rubymar” was carrying around 41,000 tons of fertilizer.
In addition, a kilometer-long oil slick had formed.
The crew was taken to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa after the attack.
The Sunday before last, the Houthis said they attacked the freighter with rockets in the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea and severely damaged it.
The 127 meter long “Rubymar” was on its way to the port of Varna in Bulgaria.
After the start of the Gaza war, the Islamist Houthis regularly attacked ships off the Yemeni coast.
According to its own statements, the militia allied with Iran wants to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military operation is a response to the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on October 7th.
Several Western countries, including the USA and Great Britain, are involved in operations to counter the attacks.
The EU has also launched a military mission to protect merchant shipping in the Red Sea, in which Germany is participating with the frigate “Hessen”.
The sea route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is one of the most important trade routes in the world.
Because of the attacks by the Houthis, large shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe - with significant effects on the global economy, also because of the higher costs of the detours.
sol/dpa