All 22 Russian sailors aboard the oil tanker Seven Pearls have finally evacuated Yemen, weeks after their situation became precarious due to US airstrikes targeting the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa.
Russian diplomatic officials confirmed the evacuation, which included three crew members injured during the attacks. A representative from the Russian Embassy communicated with local media, stating that all Russian nationals from the tanker had successfully left Yemen. The last group of 19 sailors departed from Sana'a, heading to Amman, Jordan, on May 25.
Meanwhile, the Seven Pearls remains anchored in Yemeni territorial waters, yet to leave the area. The incident unfolded on April 26 when the US launched a series of airstrikes against multiple Houthi-controlled regions, including Ras Isa, Sanaa, Saada, Al-Mahwit, and Al-Hodeidah. At that time, the Seven Pearls was docked near Ras Isa and was caught in the crossfire.
Later that day, Jamal Amer, the Houthi-appointed Foreign Minister, reported that three Russian crew members sustained injuries during the strikes. The Russian Embassy corroborated this, suggesting that the wounds were likely due to US assaults on port infrastructure. One sailor required advanced eye surgery and was initially treated in Sanaa before being sent to Moscow.
Yevgeny Kudrov, Russia's Charge d'Affaires in Yemen, had previously indicated that arrangements were underway to evacuate the injured sailors from the Houthi-controlled capital. Ultimately, all three injured crew members were transported to Moscow for further medical care.
After the airstrikes, the remaining 19 Russian sailors stayed on board the tanker, which was not permitted to leave the port at that time. According to Russian diplomats, the crew had sufficient supplies while awaiting the situation to improve and evacuation plans to be finalized.
The Seven Pearls is a 53,700-deadweight-ton product tanker registered in St. Kitts and Nevis, managed out of Dubai, UAE. Before this incident, the vessel had been operating continuously between ports in the UAE, Djibouti, and Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen.
Since March 15, the US has escalated strikes on Houthi positions, claiming these actions were necessary to safeguard American interests and maintain freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. By early May, the US and the Houthis had reached a ceasefire through mediation efforts led by Oman. However, the situation in the region remains tense.
On May 11, Israel issued a warning for civilians to evacuate ports such as Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif. Just five days later, on May 16, Israeli forces retaliated with strikes on those very ports following missile attacks from the Houthis. Israeli officials stated that the port infrastructure had likely been compromised for months due to ongoing military actions.
The Seven Pearls was among several vessels stranded at Ras Isa after the US strikes, with the Houthis preventing any ships from departing. It remains uncertain when or if the tanker will be able to leave Yemeni waters.
