MV Rubymar

Summary

The Rubymar, carrying a cargo of ammonium phosphate fertiliser, was struck by a Houthi anti-ship missile in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The 24 crew abandoned ship successfully; UKMTO coordinated the rescue. Over the following two weeks the vessel drifted and progressively took on water. On 2 March 2024 it sank in shallow Red Sea water — the first merchant vessel lost to enemy action in the Houthi campaign. The wreck poses ongoing pollution risk from fuel and fertiliser cargo.

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