After the thwarting of Moscow’s delivery of weapons to the Houthis, Yemeni-Russian military talks are underway to enhance defense cooperation
Yemen Monitor/Newsroom
Yemen and Russia held military talks on Thursday to discuss ways to enhance defense cooperation, days after the Kremlin reportedly backed down from delivering a weapons shipment to the Houthis.
The official Yemeni News Agency reported that Yemeni Defense Minister Muhsen al-Daeri met with Russian Deputy Defense Minister, Colonel-General Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin, to discuss strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries, as well as educational, technical, and military exchange programs.
During the meeting, the Yemeni defense minister highlighted the deep historical ties between the two countries, spanning nearly a century, and the existing cooperation in various fields. He also noted Russia’s contributions to training and qualifying members of the Yemeni Armed Forces.
The Yemeni minister pointed to the Houthi’s intransigence and rejection of peace, accusing them of militarizing the Red Sea through attacks on ships and international shipping lanes.
He emphasized that achieving peace and restoring stability in Yemen and the region requires supporting the Yemeni government and its armed forces to end the coup, restore state institutions, and impose security and stability throughout the country.
For his part, the Russian Deputy Defense Minister emphasized the importance of expanding partnerships and cooperation between the two countries.
It’s worth noting that this meeting comes days after CNN reported that Russia had backed down from delivering missiles and military equipment to the Houthis in Yemen in late July, following, behind-the-scenes, efforts by Saudi Arabia and the US to halt the shipment.
The network cited informed sources as saying that the Saudis had warned Russia against arming one of its biggest adversaries upon learning of Russia’s plans to supply the Houthi group with weapons, missiles, and military equipment.
According to the sources, the US, which has been involved in numerous diplomatic efforts to prevent the Russians from arming the Houthis, separately requested Saudi Arabia’s assistance in persuading Moscow not to send the shipment.
According to officials who spoke to CNN, the Russians saw arming and advising the Houthis as a way to retaliate against Biden’s administration for its decision to allow Ukraine to strike targets inside Russian territory using US weapons.
The network quoted its sources as saying that Russia had deployed military personnel to Yemen to help advise the Houthis in late July, while two sources said that US officials had observed large Russian ships making unusual stops in the southern Red Sea, where the Russian personnel disembarked and were picked up by the Houthis in a boat and taken to Yemen.
The sources added that the Russian personnel were carrying bags with them, but nothing that appeared large enough for a load of weapons or components, while it was unclear whether the Russian ships were carrying the equipment that Russia had been preparing to transfer to the Houthis before the Kremlin abandoned the plan.
According to the network, the Houthis had issued a notice to mariners warning ships of potential dangers at sea, while a US official said that intelligence indicated that the Houthis were planning to conduct live-fire exercises while hosting the Russians, but these plans also appeared to have been canceled.
In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence agencies had warned that Russia might arm the Houthis in Yemen with advanced anti-ship missiles.
