Greater Middle East (bbabo.net), - Maritime supplies of Russian oil were not affected due to increased attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen's northern ruler and the Iran-backed Shiite Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement, Bloomberg reports.
“Russia’s maritime supply of crude oil was not affected by attacks on shipping in the southern Red Sea,” the publication said.
According to the agency's analytical data, all Russian oil destined for Asian buyers continues to pass through the Red Sea, despite attacks on merchant ships by the Houthis.
As the agency notes, tankers carrying Russian oil are less likely to become the target of attacks on ships. Russian crude oil supplies averaged 3.43 million barrels per day in the four weeks to Jan. 14, up 94,000 bpd from the four weeks to Jan. 7, according to analysis compiled by the agency.
Last week, the United States and Great Britain launched strikes against targets of the Houthi movement that rules northern Yemen. A member of Ansar Allah's highest political council, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, described the strikes as terrorist barbarity, deliberate and unjustified aggression. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria said the US and UK carried out 73 strikes in Yemen, killing five Houthi fighters and wounding six others.
US President Joe Biden called the strikes on targets in Yemen a response to the threat to freedom of navigation, promising to continue to act without hesitation. He claimed that 27 Houthi attacks had hit commercial ships from more than 50 countries, and on January 9 the movement launched its largest attack against US warships.
The Houthis have previously said that their actions in the Red Sea are aimed only at ships linked to Israel to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and do not interfere with freedom of navigation in the region. Arab and Muslim countries have repeatedly warned the United States that unconditional support for Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip will lead to the spread of the conflict throughout the region. The US Department of Transportation has advised US merchant ships to stay clear of parts of the Red Sea shipping lanes due to the threat of attacks from the Houthis.
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