Azerbaijani sailors killed in drone strike on ships in Sea of Azov VIDEO

Five Azerbaijani civilian sailors were reportedly killed after kamikaze drones attacked two cargo vessels in the Sea of Azov near Taganrog during the night of June 4–5.

According to preliminary reports, the dry cargo ships Natra and Zircon were sailing from Türkiye to Rostov-on-Don when they came under attack, Caliber.Az reports.

Natra, which sails under the flag of Belize, was reportedly hit by four drones. Two crew members were killed in the strike. A fire that broke out onboard was extinguished by the crew, and the vessel remains afloat. However, it has lost propulsion and is currently awaiting a tugboat.

Zircon, registered under the flag of Palau, also came under attack from four drones. The strike destroyed the vessel’s superstructure, killing three crew members and triggering a fire. The crew subsequently abandoned the ship.

The two vessels employed Azerbaijani nationals as contracted civilian sailors, with 12 Azerbaijanis serving aboard Natra and 14 aboard Zircon. Preliminary information indicates that five Azerbaijani crew members lost their lives in the attacks.

The sailors were working voluntarily under private employment contracts, and their activities had no official connection to the Azerbaijani state.

Azerbaijan has consistently urged its citizens to avoid travel to or employment in conflict zones, stressing that the safety of civilians cannot be fully guaranteed in areas affected by hostilities.

By Vafa Guliyeva