Russian drones attacked a civilian vessel in the Black Sea twice; there are fatalities
On September 9, Russian drones attacked the civilian vessel Tedy twice in the Black Sea. Two Azerbaijani citizens were killed in the strikes, and two other crew members from that country were wounded.
According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aslan Aliyev and Asim Kasimov were killed. Imran Novruzov and Rauf Aliyev were injured.
The injured were taken to a hospital in Chornomorsk, Odesa Oblast, where they are undergoing examination and treatment.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is working to repatriate the injured citizens to their homeland after they have completed the necessary treatment.
Separately, diplomatic services are handling the necessary paperwork regarding the deceased crew members.
The vessel Tedy flies the Somali flag. According to Azerbaijani media reports, the ship is owned by Mert Marine Corporation.
According to available information, the drone attack occurred twice. The second strike took place at night while the ship was en route to the Romanian port of Constanța. It was during this attack that the crew members were killed.
According to the public association “Support for Azerbaijani Seafarers,” there were 10 crew members on board:
- four Azerbaijani citizens;
- three Turkish citizens;
- two German citizens;
- one Ukrainian citizen.
No information has yet been reported regarding the possible consequences of the attack for the other crew members.
The attack on the Tedy occurred amid Russia’s systematic strikes against civilian shipping in the Black Sea.
Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly emphasized the danger to civilian vessels entering Ukrainian ports or using the Ukrainian maritime corridor.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Ministry of Community and Territorial Development appealed to the International Maritime Organization due to the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea.
According to the Ukrainian ministry, Russia attacked 52 civilian vessels during July and the first half of August 2026.
This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.
Earlier, the Turkish Navy discovered the wreckage of the cargo ship Tugberk Imamoglu, which sank in the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul after colliding with an oil tanker. Ten crew members are considered missing.
Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, will moderate a panel discussion at the executive level during the 17th Middle East Banking Innovation Summit (MEBIS 2026), which will take place on September 16–17 at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai.
