MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Moscow has no official information about the shelling of a tanker that allegedly was carrying Russian oil in the Gulf of Aden, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"No official information has been received in this regard," the diplomat said at a news conference, when asked about the incident. "We advocate - and we do it consistently - for the safety of international maritime routes, passenger and cargo transportation, including in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait."

Maritime security company Ambrey earlier said Yemeni rebels, the Houthis, mistakenly fired on a Panama-flagged tanker that was reportedly carrying Russian oil in the Gulf of Aden. According to the company, the tanker sustained no damage.