British website: Russia sent intelligence officers to help the Houthis target ships in the Red Sea

The British Middle East Eye website revealed that Russian military intelligence officers were deployed in Yemen to help the Iran-backed Houthis target commercial ships in the Red Sea.

In a report translated by "Yemen Shabab Net", the website quoted a senior American official as saying that members of the Russian military intelligence service are working in the territories controlled by the Houthis in Yemen in an advisory role, on condition of anonymity and citing American intelligence information.

The nature of the role played by the Russians remains ambiguous, but the US official said that Russian military intelligence officers have been working in Yemen for “several months” to help the Houthis target commercial shipping, which the Houthis say is a sign of solidarity with the Palestinians besieged in Gaza.

This sensitive publication comes as Russia looks for ways to intensify its support for the Iran-backed Houthis.

The Middle East Eye website revealed in June that President Vladimir Putin considered providing the Houthis with advanced anti-ship cruise missiles, but he backed down after the direct intervention of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Wall Street Journal confirmed the report in July, but added that the United States remained concerned about the possibility of Putin arming the Houthis, perhaps as a way to dissuade the United States from allowing Ukraine to attack deeper into Russian territory.

"If Russia is going to supply the Houthis with weapons, putting technical advisors on the ground would be the first step to doing so," Samuel Ramani, an expert on Russian foreign policy in the Middle East and Africa at the Royal United Services Institute, told Middle East Eye.

“But this may also just be a sign of deepening cooperation. Given the Saudis’ concerns, this would serve as a compromise given Putin’s reluctance to arm the Houthis.”

The US intelligence information shared by Middle East Eye did not reveal where the Russian advisors work. The White House and the Department of Defense did not respond to Middle East Eye's request for comment on this story at the time of publication.

The United States expects Iran's so-called "axis of resistance" — which includes the Houthis in Yemen, Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq — to play a more prominent role in a retaliatory attack on Israel than in April, when Iran directly launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel. .

Publicly, the Houthis and the Russians are cooperating more closely. In July, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's top diplomat in the Middle East, met in Moscow with a Houthi delegation led by the group's spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam.

Middle East Eye attempted to contact the Russian Foreign Ministry to comment on the story, but had not received a response at the time of publishing this report.

"Revenge of the Red Sea"

The Houthis began firing missiles and drones at commercial ships in the Red Sea shortly after the October 7 attacks by Hamas on southern Israel. They say the attacks were a response to the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.

In January, the United States began bombing the Houthis, but the strikes did not succeed in deterring the group.

“It makes sense that Putin would want people on the ground to see how the Houthis are targeting Russian ships and make sure they are not hit,” Ramani said.