this could be seen as a companion piece to the previous post about the houthi's and red sea. its about how the russians are benefiting and the empire is loosing as a result;

America’s recent troubles in the Red Sea have ramifications that go beyond backtracked cargo and skirmishes with Islamic militias. At stake is global dominance of maritime trade — and the consequent dominance of global politics. 

As The New American has documented, U.S. naval forces are embroiled in conflict with Iran-backed Houthi militants in the Red Sea in order to prevent this Yemeni militia from targeting Western commercial vessels. Attacks from the Houthi have set back supply chains and prompted big firms such as CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and BP to avoid the Suez Canal over safety concerns.

But while the United States and its allies reel from the complications caused by the situation in the Red Sea, Russia — a close ally of Iran — is benefiting from it.

As Russia Today (RT) reports:

The Red Sea, a pivotal conduit for international commerce, is now a contested arena as Houthi rebels from Yemen escalate their attacks. Houthi leaders have said they are pursuing all Israel-bound vessels due to hostilities in Gaza, and they appear to be targeting Western ships. At the same time, an increasing number of Russian oil tankers continue to navigate the waters to deliver oil shipments to Asia, adding a layer of complexity to the situation. If substantiated, this selective targeting highlights the geopolitical intricacies in play, positioning maritime trade as a pawn in broader geopolitical maneuvers.

In short, the U.S. is gradually losing its influence in the Red Sea, a historically important trade route, while Russia’s grip on those waters tightens.

This is good news for Russia given the country’s increased dependence on trade with Asia to sustain its oil industry. Due to the Russian war with Ukraine, Europe has actively been looking for alternatives to Russian petroleum, causing Moscow to market its oil to Asia instead. As a result, Russia’s Red Sea oil traffic has gone up by 140 percent. This reality necessitates access to safe and reliable transit over the Red Sea — something the Houthi are providing Russia even while denying it to the U.S. and its allies...........more............