ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

More than a year after seizing the ship 

UPDATED Yemen's Houthis release Galaxy Leader crew, including two Bulgarians

Photo: EPA/BGNES

Yemen's Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah group have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, which was hijacked in the Red Sea in late 2023, BNT reported. The captain and the chief mate are Bulgarian citizens.

Reuters reports that the crew was on its way to Oman. Ansar Allah Houthis said the release of the Galaxy Leader sailors was part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The crew was released in coordination with Hamas and in cooperation with Oman, the group added. 
The authorities in Sana'a, Yemen, have confirmed that the captain and chief mate of the Galaxy Leader, Lyubomir Chanev and Danail Veselinov, have been released and are on their way to Muscat, Oman, MEP Elena Yoncheva, who is waiting for them in Muscat, said on her Facebook page. Yoncheva notes that a Bulgarian delegation led by Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev will arrive there this evening. In September, Yoncheva visited Yemen and had the opportunity to meet the abducted Bulgarians and hold talks with the authorities in Sana'a.
The Foreign Ministry said that on the orders of Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov, the government plane had been sent to bring the released Bulgarians back to Bulgaria.

The ship's crew consists of 25 nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, according to the ship's owner, Galaxy Maritime. The Bahamas-flagged car carrier was taken to the port of Hodeidah in the Houthi-controlled north of Yemen after being boarded by the group at sea on Nov. 19, 2023 after the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.
Radio Bulgaria News    hijack hostages houthis released the galaxy leader

More from category

Precipitation will stop from west to east

On Saturday, the lowest temperatures will be between 2 and 7°C; in Sofia - about 2°C. Precipitation will begin to stop, but during the day, cloudiness over the country will remain significant. Rainy weather will persist in the..

published on 10/3/25 7:20 PM

Presidential Administration will not use cars of the National Service for Protection

The cars of the National Service for Protection will no longer be at the disposal of the administration of the presidential institution, the MPs have decided, BNR reporter Daniel Inkov informed. This does not apply to the cars used..

published on 10/3/25 4:21 PM

Bulgaria and North Macedonia sign agreement on cross-border railway tunnel

The Council of Ministers approved amendments to the Agreement between Bulgaria and North Macedonia on the preparation, construction and operation of a cross-border railway tunnel. “Following correspondence, notes were received from..

published on 10/3/25 3:40 PM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Occasional showers
Min: 8 | Max: 12
Overcast, rain
Min: 13 | Max: 20
Overcast, rain
Min: 13 | Max: 18
Rain
Min: 8 | Max: 11
Rain
Min: 9 | Max: 10
Rain
Min: 8 | Max: 14
Rain
Min: 7 | Max: 13
Occasional showers
Min: 8 | Max: 18
Occasional showers
Min: 9 | Max: 17
Occasional showers
Min: 7 | Max: 11
Rain
Min: 9 | Max: 13
Rain
Min: 8 | Max: 11
Occasional showers
Min: 8 | Max: 13
Occasional showers
Min: 6 | Max: 10
Rain
Min: 9 | Max: 13
Occasional showers
Min: 9 | Max: 14
Rain
Min: 9 | Max: 15
Rain
Min: 10 | Max: 16
Rain
Min: 10 | Max: 18
Occasional showers
Min: 10 | Max: 16
Occasional showers
Min: 4 | Max: 10
Occasional showers
Min: 7 | Max: 10
Occasional showers
Min: 9 | Max: 15
Rain
Min: 7 | Max: 16
Occasional showers
Min: 8 | Max: 16
Rain
Min: 7 | Max: 17
Occasional showers
Min: 10 | Max: 19
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română
MOST VIEWED

Solemn concert and Dobrudzha Pumpkin Festival held in Stefanovo village

The Pumpkin Festival and the holiday of the village of Stefanovo will be held over the weekend, Dobrich Municipality announced...

published on 10/4/25 4:55 AM

Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev named European Journalist of the Year

Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev has been awarded the prestigious "Journalist of the Year" award at the PRIX EUROPA   European media..

published on 10/4/25 10:15 AM

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"