Houthis hit a tanker with Russian oil

The Houthis hit the M/T Wind tanker transporting Russian oil in the Red Sea with an anti-ship missile.

The press service of the U.S. Central Command reported on this.

At approximately 1 a.m. (Sanaa time) May 18, Iranian-backed Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile into the Red Sea and struck M/T Wind, a Panamanian-flagged, Greek owned and operated oil tanker.

The impact of the ASBM caused flooding which resulted in the loss of propulsion and steering. There were no casualties as a result of the incident.

British security firm Ambrey said the attack had occurred about 10 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Mokha, and that the missile had caused a fire in the steering gear compartment.

A US-led coalition vessel immediately responded to the distress call by M/T Wind. The crew of M/T Wind was able to restore propulsion and steering. M/T Wind resumed its course under its own power.

Russian oil

According to Reuters, the Panamanian-flagged ship was in the Black Sea before the incident. Arriving in Novorossiysk, it was loaded with Russian oil at the Sheskharis terminal.

After loading, the M/T Wind headed across the Red Sea to deliver Russian raw materials to China, but was ambushed by the Houthis.

As noted in the publication, sabotage and attacks by Houthis on transit routes in the Red Sea have led to disruptions in global shipping. This forced transportation companies to return to longer and more expensive routes around South Africa.

The complication of logistics and its rise in price will obviously force up global oil prices and, consequently, fuel prices.