Dramatic Video Surfaces of Houthi Strike on Greek Ship in Red Sea

A video of the Houthi strike on a Greek ship in the Red Sea earlier in the week was released by private Skai TV on Friday evening.

The footage from a bridge camera shows the moment a missile hits the dry bulk vessel, Zografia, which sustained minor damage. There were no injuries among the crew.

According to Vulcanis Technical Maritime Enterprises, with headquarters based in Piraeus port, all twenty-four foreign nationals of the vessel’s crew are safe and unharmed. The crew is comprised of three Filipinos, twenty Ukrainians, and one Georgian national.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which is part of the Royal Navy and advises on maritime security for merchant ships, reported that the incident occurred approximately a hundred nautical miles northwest of Salif.

“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” the organization said on X.

Houthi fighters target ships in the Red Sea

In recent weeks the dangers for shipping in the Red Sea region have increased dramatically, as Iranian-backed Houthi fighters have targeted commercial shipping with drone and missile attacks, as well as more brazen assaults by boat and helicopter.

The Houthis, who control a large part of Yemen, have declared their backing for Hamas in its war with Israel, and say they are targeting commercial vessels with links to Israel.

But many of the ships targeted, particularly in recent days, have no clear links to Israel at all.

They possess Qasef-1 and Qasef-2 drones with an estimated range of 200km, and others with a flying range of up to 1,800km. Their ground-launched missiles may be capable of striking ships up to 800km away.

The Houthis have also tried boarding ships using small boats, and on one occasion, used a helicopter to land an assault team on the deck of a container ship, the Galaxy Leader. The group hijacked the vessel and it is still being held off the Yemeni coast.

Disruption of world trade

Much of the world’s oil and natural gas originates from the region, and the Red Sea is used to transport roughly fifteen percent of the world’s shipping traffic.

With Houthis attacking dozens of ships since the war in Gaza erupted, trade flows have been hit at a time when supply strains and low demand are putting pressure on prices globally.

Some major shipping lines and oil giant BP have already diverted vessels around southern Africa, adding time and costs to journeys rather than risk going through the Red Sea.

If the crisis continues, the increased costs of oil and goods may be passed on to consumers in stores and at the petrol pump.