Russian mariner held after Houthi Red Sea attack leaves Yemen for home

April 2 (Reuters) - A ‌Russian mariner ​detained ​for around eight months after being on board a ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi ‌militants has left the country for Russia following ⁠medical treatment in Sanaa, the Houthi-run foreign ministry said on ‌Thursday.

The mariner, identified by ‌Russian media as Aleksei Galaktionov, was a crew member of a Greek-operated cargo ship that was ​sunk by the Houthis in July 2025. He was wounded in the attack.

"The Russian citizen was ⁠transported on a United Nations aircraft, in coordination with the U.N. ​envoy," the foreign ministry said, according to the Houthi-run news agency, adding that his departure ​was arranged after he had ‌completed treatment.

It said the move followed contacts with Russian officials and with counterparts ⁠in Iran.

The crew of the ship was released in December, an official with the ship's operator and a ⁠maritime security source told Reuters.

The Iran-aligned Houthis sank the Liberia-flagged ​Eternity C, which had 22 crew and three armed guards on board, after attacking it with sea drones and rocket-propelled ‌grenades over two consecutive days.

The Houthis have attacked more than 100 ships in ‌what they said was a campaign of solidarity with ⁠Palestinians during the ‌Gaza war. They halted ​attacks after a ceasefire was announced in October last year.

(Reporting by ReutersEditing by Bill ‌Berkrot)

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