On February 19, the EU member states decided to launch a planned naval mission against the Houthi militants off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea.
dpa informs about the adoption of the relevant decision by the ministers of foreign affairs.
The publication, citing sources, reports that the "Aspides" mission is designed to protect ships in the sea from the Houthis. It is known that Germany has already sent the frigate Hesse with 250 Bundeswehr soldiers to the shores of Yemen.
"The EU "Aspides" mission involves sending warships and airborne early warning systems to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters," the report said.
Ships involved in the mission will be ordered to fire on the militants only if they attack first and will not be allowed to open fire in advance. It is reported that the operational command will be located in the Greek city of Larissa.
It should be noted that at the end of January, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrel announced the EU naval mission against the Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea. Then it was reported that it would not involve strikes against the Houthis, and the main goal would be to protect ships from the militants.
Earlier we reported that the U.S. carried out five more strikes against the Houthis in Yemen for self-defense, as anti-ship cruise missiles and drones were detected in areas under the control of militants.