Romanian captured by Houthi pirates on Galaxy Leader ship released

A Romanian citizen who was part of the crew of the ship Galaxy Leader and was kidnapped in Yemen has been released and is now safe, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).

The release is the result of sustained efforts by the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) and other institutions within the Crisis Cell, in cooperation with MAE, the institution noted.

The ministry expressed gratitude on behalf of the Romanian authorities to all external partners, especially the authorities of the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Bulgaria, for their significant support in resolving this "complex and extremely difficult" case.

Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu welcomed the news that the Romanian sailor has been released and will be brought back to Romania.

"We extend our thanks to all our regional partners, especially the Sultanate of Oman, who supported us in this effort. I commend the diplomatic and specialized efforts of Romanian institutions. Thanks also to our Bulgarian partners for their close coordination," Marcel Ciolacu wrote on January 22 in a message on X.

The Houthi pirates, backed by Iran, seized the Galaxy Leader ship off the Yemeni Red Sea coast more than a year ago. The kidnapping was part of their series of attacks on commercial ships navigating the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Overall, they attacks over 40 ships.

The crew of of the Galaxy Leader were handed to Oman “in coordination” with the ceasefire in Gaza, signed between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. The crew is composed of 25 nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, according to The Guardian.

(Photo source: Rokas Tenys | Dreamstime.com)