Five Azerbaijani sailors were killed in a drone strike in the Sea of Azov
On the night of June 5, in the area of the Taganrog Gulf of the Azov Sea, drones attacked two cargo ships—the motor vessels “Natra” and “Zircon.”
Five Azerbaijani citizens were killed in the attack, and three others were injured.
A total of 25 Azerbaijani citizens were on board, but the ships themselves did not belong to Azerbaijan—they were flying the flags of Palau and Belize and were en route from Turkey to Rostov-on-Don to load grain.
According to the Axar.az portal, the vessel “Natra” was struck four times by drones, after which a fire broke out. The crew managed to extinguish it on their own; the vessel remained afloat but requires towing.
The ship “Zircon,” according to preliminary reports, was also hit four times and began to sink. The crew was forced to abandon it in lifeboats.
The surviving sailors were picked up by three passing vessels and subsequently transported to the port of Yeysk. The injured were taken to a hospital.
Two rescue vessels were dispatched to tow the damaged “Natri.” Representatives of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia also joined the efforts to address the aftermath of the incident.
This was reported by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Earlier, in the Black Sea off the coast of Turkey, unidentified drones attacked three tankers at once, which, according to Ukrainian intelligence, may belong to the Russian “shadow fleet.” The strikes occurred in different areas; the vessels sustained damage, but the crews remained unharmed. The incident immediately prompted a response from maritime authorities and raised a new wave of questions about the safety of navigation in the region.
