Search continues for Azerbaijani captain missing after drone strike off Odesa

Search efforts are continuing for the Azerbaijani captain of a civilian merchant vessel that was struck by a drone off the coast of Ukraine's Odesa region earlier this week, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on July 16.

The ministry said 10 Azerbaijani nationals who were serving as crew members aboard the vessel have been safely repatriated.

After crossing into neighbouring Moldova, they returned to Azerbaijan via Türkiye.

The captain, also an Azerbaijani citizen, remains missing, and search operations are ongoing, according to the ministry.

The incident occurred on July 14 at around 3:15 p.m. local time, when the Atlas Bey, a civilian merchant vessel owned by Turkish shipping company Okean Maritime, was hit by a drone off the coast of Odesa.

A total of 11 Azerbaijani nationals were on board at the time of the attack. All crew members except the captain were rescued and brought safely ashore in Odesa.

By Aghakazim Guliyev