SANAA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group announced Thursday the release of a Russian sailor detained following the sinking of the cargo vessel Eternity C in the Red Sea off western Yemen in July 2025.
The sailor, after receiving treatment in Sanna and having completely recovered, has left Sanaa and been transported on a UN aircraft, paving the way for his return to Russia, the group said in a statement, adding that the release came after "communications with the Russian side and with Iran," and "in coordination with the UN envoy."
It said the same UN flight also facilitated the return of stranded Yemeni individuals and patients from abroad, among others.
On July 9, 2025, the Houthis announced that the Eternity C had completely sunk and that several crew members had been moved to a "safe location," two days after the ship was struck in the Red Sea.
The Eternity C, a commercial cargo vessel sailing under the Liberian flag, was attacked by Houthi missiles while navigating the Red Sea about 51 nautical miles west of Yemen's Hodeidah.
Since November 2023, the Houthis had carried out attacks in the Red Sea on vessels they claimed are linked to Israel, amid the Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza. Israel had responded with airstrikes on multiple occasions.
The group halted its maritime operations after Israel and Hamas reached an agreement in October 2025 to end the Gaza war. ■
