| Attacks on the MVTutor | |
|---|---|
| Part of theRed Sea crisis andMiddle Eastern crisis (2023–present) | |
| Location | Red Sea, 66.7 nautical miles (123.5 km; 76.8 mi) southwest ofAl Hudaydah |
| Date | 12 June 2024 (attacked) 18 June 2024 (sank) |
| Target | MVTutor |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 1 Filipino killed |
| Perpetrators |  Houthis Yemeni Navy (SPC faction) |
On 12 June 2024, the YemeniHouthi movement attackedMVTutor, a Liberia-flaggedbulk carrier, in the southernRed Sea with anunmanned surface vehicle (USV) and ananti-ship missile, killing one crewmember. The vessel was seriously damaged, and later abandoned by her crew. She sank six days after the attacks. The attacks mark the first successful usage of a USV and the second sinking by the Houthis in theRed Sea crisis.
Since November 2023, the Houthis, whocaptured the capital of Yemen in 2014 during thecountry's civil war, have conducted attacks against merchant and naval vessels they claim are linked to Israel, mainly in theRed Sea andGulf of Aden.[1] The attacks are carried out in solidarity with thePalestinians in theGaza war, which began afterHamas ledan attack against Israel which saw over 1,200 people killed and 250 takenhostage.[2] Israel's response saw an air, ground and sea assault on theGaza Strip in which theGaza Health Ministry reported that over 37,000 Palestinians were killed. The attacks sparkedairstrikes led by the United States and United Kingdom against targets in Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.[3]
The attacks forced shipping to move around Africa and away from the Red Sea, which previously accounted for 12% of global trade.[2][4] Major companies across sixty-five countries have been affected by the crisis, includingShell,BP andMaersk.[5] Throughout the Houthi campaign, over 50 ships were attacked, three sailors were killed, and one ship,Galaxy Leader, was hijacked.[1]
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tutor |
| Owner | Evalend Shipping, Athina, Greece |
| Port of registry |  Liberia |
| Completed | 2022 |
| Identification | |
| Fate | Sank on 18 June 2024, six days after being attacked by Houthis |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Bulk carrier |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 229 m (751 ft 4 in) |
| Beam | 32.3 m (106 ft 0 in) |
| Crew | 22 |
MVTutor was acoal carrier which sailed under the flag of Liberia with alength overall of 229 metres (751 ft 4 in) and awidth of 32.3 metres (106 ft 0 in).[6][7] Owned by theAthens-basedEvalend Shipping,[5] she was built in 2022 with agross tonnage of 44,479 anddeadweight tonnage of 82,357 tons.[8]
At the time of the attacks, she was en route to India after loading at the Port ofUst-Luga, Russia on 18 May. She discharged atPort Said, Egypt on 9 June and was due to make a stop atAqaba, Jordan before she was attacked.[3] According to the Houthi-run TV ChannelAl-Masirah, the Houthis claimed thatTutor was attacked because a sister ship belonging Evalend had entered the Israeli port ofHaifa:
"We have sent emails to the maritime companies informing them and warning that if their ships enter [the ports of the occupied territories], they will be on the banned list".[9]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Houthi video shows attack that sank the bulk carrier MV Tutor in the Red Sea (viaNBC News) |
At 07:10AST,Tutor'smaster reported an attack around 66.7 nautical miles (123.5 km; 76.8 mi) southwest ofAl Hudaydah.[8] The ship was directly struck on herstern by a USV, which theUnited Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) described as a "small, 5–7-metre (16–23 ft) long craft of white color". The crew members recounted seeing what they thought was a smallfishing vessel approach the port quarter seemingly carrying two people, who were revealed to have beenmannequins. The vessel then struck the ship's stern and detonated.[10] The attack caused severe damage to herengine room, where a crew member was located.[2][11] Later, she was struck again on her engine room by an unknown aerial projectile, likely ananti-ship missile.[12][8] The engine room faced severe flooding and reportedly a fire, causing the crew to lose control of the ship.[3][13] On 13 June, Houthi spokespersonYahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming to have destroyed the ship and adding that she was targeted with a number of missiles and drones along with the missile and USV that struck her, the latter of which he called a "drone boat".[14][1] He said that the attacks were "dedicated to themujahideen in Gaza".[15]
Her crew eventually abandoned the ship with the help of US and allied forces in the Red Sea, including theUSS Dwight D. Eisenhowercarrier strike group,military helicopters fromUSS Philippine Sea,[16][17] and a Frenchfrigate.[18] Twenty-one of the 22 crew members were rescued and airlifted to aUnited States Navy cruiser before being sent toDwight D. Eisenhower for medical check-ups. Initial reports said that the crew would be evacuated to Djibouti.[18] The Filipino crew members, who made up a majority of the crew, were then transported to the port ofManama, Bahrain before being taken via plane toManila, Philippines.[19] The Filipino crew member who remained missing was confirmed deceased by US officialJohn Kirby on 18 June.[20]
On 18 June, theUnited Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the ship likely sank overnight off the coast of Eritrea, at the coordinates of 14"19'N 041"14'E,[21] after receiving reports of oil and debris in the ship's last position.[22][23] On the morning of the following day, the UKMTO confirmed her sinking.[24] She is the second ship to be sunken throughout the Red Sea crisis.[25] On 21 June, the Houthis released footage of theUnmanned surface vehicle (USV) used in the attack, which they called the "Tufan" or "Flood".[26]
On 15 June, the United States conducted airstrikes against seven Houthi radar systems inside Yemen which allowed them to target vessels.[16] The strikes were reportedly in response to the attacks onTutor.[18]
Also on that date, the Houthis claimed that the ship was at risk of sinking.US Central Command (CENTCOM) acknowledged severe flooding, with the vessel slowly taking in water.[18] Twotugboats from the Tsavliris Salvage Group were deployed to recover the vessel.[27][28] The salvage operation was abandoned following her sinking.[29]
White House spokesperson John Kirby called the attacks "terrorism" and called the Houthis claim to be supporting Gazans "meritless". He added that the crew member killed, along with another sailor injured during a separate attack on theVerbana, "weren't delivering arms to Israel, they weren't taking sides in the Middle East," and were just doing their jobs on the vessel.[20]
TheDepartment of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines condemned the attack and vowed to take steps to protect Filipino seafarers. It also called on theUnited Nations to protect seafarers'human rights.[30] The Department of Migrant Workers held a meeting to discuss the safety of Filipino sailors and vowed to review its current policies. PresidentFerdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. also stated that his government was doing everything it could to ensure the safety of theTutor's crew.[31]
Several shipping organizations released a joint statement condemning the attacks and calling for further attacks to cease, includingWorld Shipping Council,European Community Shipowners' Associations andAsian Shipowners' Association.[32]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 2024 | |
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