Fate of abandoned ship remains uncertain after Houthi strikes

It’s still unclear what has become of a commercial ship that was abandoned by its crew after the vessel took on water during a Houthi missile strike in the Red Sea this week. 

US and UK officials said Tuesday that the Rubymar, a small cargo ship, hadn’t sunk. That contradicted a Houthi claim on Monday that the attack resulted in its “complete sinking.” 

Maritime security firm Diaplous Group said the ship was seen Tuesday morning half-sunken outside of the main transit lane in the region. The Rubymar’s manager said it was unable to provide an update on the ship’s status. 

The attack on the Rubymar may well have inflicted the most significant damage yet on any merchant ship since the Iran-backed militant group began targeting commercial vessels with Western ties late last year in response to Israel’s war in Gaza. 

The 24-person crew was rescued by a container ship after the Rubymar’s officers decided to evacuate due to the damage. They were then taken to Djibouti.

“Current reports suggest no casualties,” a UK government spokesperson said. “Nearby coalition vessels are already on the scene and HMS Richmond continues to patrol in the Red Sea to help protect commercial shipping.”

The attack also came during a flurry of Houthi strikes targeting other ships in the Red Sea region with alleged links to the US.  

As well as unnerving crews, it will likely further prolong the amount of time shipowners are going to avoid the waterway — a vital transit link for swaths of the world’s goods and raw materials when running normally. 

Ship arrivals last week in the nearby Gulf of Aden were down about two-thirds when compared with early December, according to Clarkson Research Services Ltd., a unit of the world’s largest shipbroker.