Putin cannot stop attacks on Russian ships

Moscow has “limited” ability to stop Houthi attacks in the Red Sea on ships carrying Russian goods, despite an agreement with the Iran-linked group to leave the ships alone, a maritime risk firm said. News week.

British maritime security company Ambrey says that in reality the actions of the Houthis fall outside the control that such a deal seeks to exert over their aggression, and that Russia’s security cannot be ensured in areas where the rebels are assets.

For his invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin relied on Moscow’s close ties with Iran, which supports Houthi militants controlling much of Yemen. But assurances from the Houthis not to target ships linked to Russia – as well as China – have not stopped ships from those countries being caught up in the Yemeni group’s operations to disrupt trade maritime in the region.

Since November, the Houthis have launched drones and missiles at Western commercial ships in response to the Israeli war in Gaza and in solidarity with the “Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank.” They claim to target commercial vessels with ties to Israel, even though many vessels have no clear connection to that country.

In response, many shipping companies have diverted their ships from the Suez Canal to the longer route around Africa, disrupting global trade, although Russian ships, including Russian tankers and container ships bound for the Russian ports, managed to cross the region unscathed.

However, in January, Houthi militants mistakenly targeted a tanker carrying Russian oil southeast of the Yemeni port city of Aden, according to Ambrey. A Chinese-owned oil tanker Huang Pu carrying Russian oil was targeted in March.

Ambrey’s regional analyst for the Middle East and Indian Ocean, Daniel Mueller, said the Houthis had given assurances to Russia and China in January and March not to strike their ships in this troubled region, but that “the actions of the Houthis have diminished the reliability of their promise”. safe navigation. »

He said the Houthis targeted Chinese-owned ships because of perceived links to Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States or Israeli trade. “Ships carrying Russian goods or destined for Iran have also been targeted,” he said. News week“Israeli, British or American affiliations may trump any Chinese or Russian ties.”

This week, maritime authorities said the Houthis used missiles and a remote-controlled boat loaded with explosives to sink the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ship. Tutor coal carrier on June 12, after making a stopover in Russia.

Bloomberg reported in March that the agreement between the Houthis, Russia and China to leave their ships alone was in exchange for Beijing and Moscow’s support for the Yemeni group at the United Nations.

But Mueller said “political pressure from Russia or China to end Houthi attacks on shipping or ensure the security of Chinese and Russian interests appears limited.”

“The limited effectiveness of the Houthis’ guarantee to Russian and Chinese vessels makes adequate risk assessment, including thorough verification of vessel affiliation, vital,” he said. “Subsequent activities indicate that China has been unable to convince Iran or the Houthis to cease or reduce their activities. their operations. »

Houthi attacks have had a significant impact on maritime trade in the region. Container shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, declined by 66% between December 2023 and February 2024, as more companies take the route around the Cape of Good Hope.

News week contacted the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for comment.