Russian ship forced to bypass Africa after becoming target of Houthi attack

Russian ship forced to bypass Africa after becoming target of Houthi attack

Sunday, June 2, 2024 15:19 PM (GMT+7)

The Russian ship was attacked despite previous claims by Houthi forces, forcing them to find a new, longer route.

On the night of May 18 in the Red Sea, Houthi armed forces in Yemen fired a cruise missile at the oil tanker Wind traveling from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to China, the US Middle East Command announced.

The ship, registered under the flag of Panama and owned by a Greek company, was hit by an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Yemen. The missile hit its target, damaging the ship's bulkhead, causing flooding and temporary loss of control.

Ships of the coalition ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea immediately came to the aid of the distressed tanker, but no outside help was needed - the crew managed to cope with the damage, regain control and continue moving, no sailors were injured.

CENTCOM (US Central Command) condemned the attack, saying the actions of the Iran-backed Houthi forces threatened regional stability and endangered the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis' threat to international trade and their impact on those who have nothing to do with the Israel-Hamas conflict has made them a target for attack by the US, UK and many other countries.

The Wind tanker incident has once again drawn international attention to the volatile situation in the region. Many questions remain regarding the motives of the Houthi fighters in attacking a ship serving Russian and Chinese interests.

This is surprising because the Houthis have promised Moscow and Beijing that they will not attack commercial ships or cargo ships serving the interests of these two countries in the Red Sea and other waters near Yemen.

Given the above situation, the Russian Federation and China do not really want to risk their expensive oil and gas products and cargo ships, applying their advanced technology.

According to maritime monitoring sources, the liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker departing from Gazprom's processing complex at Portovaya station in Vyborg in the Leningrad region was forced to go to China by going around Africa, namely through the Cape of Good Hope instead of the Suez Canal.

A typical example is the voyage of the Marshal Vasilevsky, owned by Gazprom, which is currently heading southeast along the west coast of Africa, near Namibia.

Marshal Vasilevsky is the only ship of its kind in the Russian Federation. It was built under the supervision of the Russian Register of Shipping and Lloyd's Register of Ships, in strict compliance with the International Rules for the Construction and Equipment of Liquefied Gas Carriers.

The vessel has unlimited cruising range and is designed to store, transport and recycle LNG. Its length is 294.83 m, width is 46.4 m, cargo tank capacity (LNG transport capacity) is up to 174 thousand cubic meters, maximum speed is 19.5 knots.

Western experts note that the route from Russia to China, passing through the African continent, is 1.5 times longer than via the Suez Canal. According to recorded information, it takes 45 days to deliver the goods. Experts say that Gazprom chose the above route to reduce the risk of conflicts in the Red Sea.

PV (according to ANTĐ, Bloomberg)

Source: https://danviet.vn/tau-nga-buoc-phai-vong-qua-chau-phi-khi-da-tro-thanh-muc-tieu-tan-cong-cua-houthi-20240602151731129.htm