Bulgarian sailors from hijacked vessel 'Galaxy Leader' landed in Bulgaria

After more than a year in captivity by the Yemeni Houthis from the group "Ansar Allah", the crew members of the 'Galaxy Leader' ship, captain Lyubomir Chanev and senior assistant captain Danail Veselinov were released and on January 23 arrived home.

A Romanian national, also part of the ship's crew, also returned on the government airplane.

Photos by Dessislava Kulelieva, BNT

The Galaxy Leader, with the two Bulgarians on board, was captured in the Red Sea in late November 2023. The agreement between Israel and Hamas gave the green light to the operation to release them, with Hamas coordinating it.

Omani television footage showed the crew arriving in the Omani capital last night. The sailors appeared to be in good health.