After more than a year in captivity by the Yemeni Houthis from the "Ansar Allah" group, Captain Lyubomir Chanev and Senior Assistant Captain Danail Veselinov were released and on January 23 arrived in Bulgaria. A Romanian citizen, also a member of the hijacked Galaxy Leader crew, also returned aboard the government airplane.
The government aircraft sent to bring home the two Bulgarian sailors released from the captured ship "Galaxy Leader"
"The moment is special and emotional, but the most important thing is that our men are alive and safe in Bulgaria and have returned to their loved ones and families. The efforts over the past 430 days are indicative of the strength of the state, of the state institutions that are able in their unity, in their actions, to demonstrate a determination that can lead to such such a remarkable success. A success that was guided all the time by the thought of humanity, ensuring the safe return of the sailors to Bulgaria," Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said.
He expressed gratitude to the international partners, particularly to the Sultanate of Oman, for their assistance.
"In these moments, the only thing that guides us is pride in a job well done by many people, some of them on the so-called quiet, hidden front. The sailors demonstrated courage, strength, and resilience throughout the entire ordeal," Georgiev added.
"Thank you to my family, to all of Bulgaria for waiting and hoping for us to come. We never lost hope. They treated us normally, provided us with the basic necessities for survival, did not physically touch us, there was no mental harassment. The people did not intend to hurt us, after they captured us, their plan was to take over the ship," said Captain Lyubomir Chanev.
He further explained that all necessary actions were taken to ensure the safety of the crew, to keep them alive and healthy, and to prevent any harm.
"We are a commercial ship – we are neither soldiers nor do we have weapons on board," Captain Lyubomir Chanev stated.
"Thank you to my wife and daughter, their support kept us going through all these 14 months there. We also thank the Bulgarian government for being active in the negotiations for our release. Thank you to the captain for not taking risky actions and not putting us in a situation that could have endangered our lives. Minutes after they seized the ship, they started untying us, giving us water, and reassuring us that nothing would happen to us. The uncertainty, being away from our families, was the hardest part. What can it feel like when you are in the first hour of your sleep and you wake up to gunshots and screams in an unknown language. You don't take risks and you wait to see what happens, you pray," Senior Assistant Captain Danail Veselinov added.
"The release is the result of the efforts of all institutions. It demonstrates that when Bulgarian citizens find themselves in distress anywhere in the world, the Bulgarian state is capable of mobilizing and doing everything possible to bring them home. The humanitarian mission in Yemen and the release would not have been possible if we had not all worked together, regardless of political circumstances, regardless of our political differences," stated MEP Elena Yoncheva.
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.
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