A video published on X by the Houthis appears to show a drone slowly approaching and possibly hitting bulk carrier Cyclades (IMO 9799616) in the Red Sea on Monday (see yesterday’s IMN).
The unverified footage is the first of its kind released by the Iran-backed Yemen-based military grouping since it began its current series of drone and missile attacks against commercial and military shipping in the southern Red Sea and Arabian Gulf last November.
The video shows an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) taking off and subsequently moving at what feels like a funereal pace towards a bulk carrier that is underway at sea. The vessel in the video appears to be the Cyclades, one of four vessels targeted by the Houthis on Monday. A time-stamp indicates that the footage was captured on April 29th 2024 between 09:39 and 09:42. The film cuts out after the drone appears about to strike the vessel.
2017-built, Malta-flagged, 34,094 gt Cyclades is owned by Armar Shipping Ltd care of manager Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Ltd of Athens, Greece. It is entered with NorthStandard on behalf of Armor Shipping Ltd.
