5 Azerbaijani Seafarers Killed in Sea of Azov Drone Strike on Cargo Ships
Five Azerbaijani crew members were killed and three others wounded when Ukrainian drones struck two dry cargo ships in Taganrog Bay in the early hours of 5 June, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday.
The two vessels — the MV Natra and the MV Zirkon — were travelling in ballast from Turkey to the Russian port of Rostov-on-Don to load grain when they came under attack. Both ships were operating under flags of convenience and were not owned by the Azerbaijani state, the ministry said, though all 26 crew members aboard the two ships held Azerbaijani nationality under private employment contracts.
Natra, registered under the flag of Belize, was struck by 4 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at 00:45 Moscow time. Two crew members were killed. The remaining sailors extinguished the fire themselves, and the vessel stayed afloat, though it lost propulsion and required towing.
Zirkon was hit just over an hour later, at 01:55 Moscow time. Four strikes concentrated near the vessel’s superstructure killed 3 crew members and started a fire the crew could not control. The 14 Azerbaijani sailors aboard Zirkon abandoned ship in lifeboats. Three passing vessels picked up all survivors, delivering them to the nearby port of Yeysk by morning.
The Taman Marine Rescue and Coordination Center logged both incidents from its operational report issued at 03:04 Moscow time.
Natra had 12 Azerbaijani nationals aboard; Zirkon carried 14. The Foreign Ministry in Baku said it was coordinating the emergency response with domestic agencies, diplomatic missions and the competent authorities of the states involved.
Several Azerbaijani Embassy officials were dispatched from Moscow to monitor the condition of the wounded and arrange repatriation of the five who were killed.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry declined to attribute responsibility for the strikes. Russia, however, pointed the finger directly at Ukraine.
Ukraine acknowledged conducting a broader drone operation in the region the same night. Robert Brovdi, Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, stated that Ukrainian drones had struck five vessels during the night of 5 June in the ports of Mariupol and Berdiansk and in the coastal waters of temporarily occupied territories.
Brovdi said the ships had their names painted over and their radars switched off with the aim of quietly shipping grain from occupied Ukrainian territories, and were also used to transfer military cargo and fuel. He did not address the Azerbaijani deaths or injuries.
The two vessels were heading to Rostov-on-Don, one of the Sea of Azov’s principal grain export ports. Both Rostov-on-Don and the nearby port of Taganrog have been repeatedly identified by Western governments and Ukraine as key transit points for grain systematically taken from Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions — including Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk — since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The flag histories of both Natra and Zirkon are consistent with what analysts describe as Russia’s shadow fleet: the network of ageing, often uninsured vessels sailing under flags of convenience that Moscow uses to sustain trade despite Western sanctions.
Zirkon had previously flown the Russian flag before being re-registered in Palau in 2022. Natra has also operated under the flags of the Cook Islands and Vanuatu. Belize and Palau rank among the most frequently used registries within this network. Neither vessel appeared on published Western sanctions lists at the time of the attack.
Ukraine has waged an extensive maritime drone campaign in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov since 2022, targeting Russian naval assets and commercial vessels alike. The strikes on Natra and Zirkon come as Azerbaijan finds itself caught in the economic fallout of a conflict it has sought to stay neutral in — with its nationals working aboard vessels entangled in the Russia-Ukraine war’s rapidly expanding maritime theatre.
RELATED POSTS
Disclaimer :
The information on this website is for general purposes only. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, we make no warranties of any kind regarding completeness, reliability, or suitability. Any reliance you place on such information is at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of this website.
Disclaimer :
The information on this website is for general purposes only. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, we make no warranties of any kind regarding completeness, reliability, or suitability. Any reliance you place on such information is at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of this website.
Related Articles
Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy you can unsubscribe anytime.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT