Tanker carrying Russian oil to China attacked by Houthi maritime drone

Yemen’s Houthi rebels continued their attacks in the Red Sea, targeting two oil tankers in 24 hours, including a ship carrying Russian oil likely headed to Asia, where China is the region’s largest buyer.

Monday’s attacks come as Western sanctions target Russia’s economy over its invasion of Ukraine. Exporting crude oil to friendly countries has become crucial for the Kremlin to sustain its war economy. China has been the top importer since December 2022, buying 53% of Russia’s exported crude oil.

Newsweek contacted the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for comment via email.

Houthis Launch Unmanned Surface Ship Attacking MT Lion of Chiosa Liberian-flagged tanker owned by the Marshall Islands and operated by Greece, according to a statement released Tuesday by the U.S. military’s Central Command.

Sal Mercogliano, a maritime historian and associate professor of history at Campbell University in North Carolina, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the tanker was headed to Asia. It was carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil from the Russian port of Tuapse on the Black Sea, the independent Russian news outlet The Moscow Times reported.

THE Lion of Chios On July 4, the ship sailed south through the Bosphorus Strait, leaving the Black Sea and heading toward the Mediterranean Sea, according to a ship watcher in Turkey.

The Houthis released a video on Tuesday showing what they said was the attack on the Lion of ChiosAn unmanned surface vessel can be seen ramming the tanker, causing a massive fireball. The attack took place 100 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

However, the video blurred the image of the unmanned vehicle. Newsweek could not independently verify the images.

THE Lion of Chios The ship suffered minor damage to its port side and changed course from south to north to assess the damage and investigate a possible oil spill, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing the Joint Maritime Information Center.

The Houthis also attacked MT Bentley IA Panamanian-flagged tanker, owned by Israel and operated by Monaco, carrying Russian vegetable oil and bound for China, the U.S. military said.

The rebels used three surface ships, one unmanned surface ship and two small boats in the first round of attacks, while employing an anti-ship ballistic missile in the second round.

According to MarineTraffic, a website that tracks ships around the world, the Bentley I’s reported destination is Shanghai, China. It left the Russian port of Taman in the Black Sea on July 4 and is expected to arrive on August 4.

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture announced in May that Russia’s share of Chinese vegetable oil imports in the first quarter of the year amounted to 58.4%. The country increased its vegetable oil exports to its near ally by 18.2%, to 578,300 tons.

No injuries were reported at the time of the announcement, U.S. Central Command added. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks and said they were in response to Israeli bombardment of the Gaza city of Khan Younis on Saturday.

Yemeni rebels began attacking the international trade route after war broke out between Israel and Hamas in October 2010. The United States and several European countries have deployed warships to protect civilian vessels sailing in the Red Sea region.

In March, Bloomberg reported that the Houthis had assured China and Russia that their ships could pass through the Red Sea region without hindrance. Iran supports the rebels, while Moscow and Beijing have close ties to Tehran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also reportedly considering supplying the Houthis with anti-ship missiles.