Drones attacked a tugboat in the Black Sea on Tuesday, killing two Azerbaijani sailors in the most recent assault on civilian ships close to the Ukrainian port of Odesa. The Mert Marine Corporation-owned tugboat TEDY, flying the Somali flag, was initially struck close to Odesa before experiencing two more drone strikes during the course of the nite as it headed for the Romanian town of Constanta.
Aslan Aliyev and Asim Gasimov, two crew members, were confirmed dead by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry. Imran Novruzov and Rauf Aliyev, two further Azerbaijani sailors, were admitted to the hospital in Chornomorsk, Ukraine, due to burn injuries. At the scene, six additional crew members were treated.
Ten crew members, including citizens of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Germany, and Ukraine, were on board.The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said it was working with diplomatic missions and other relevant authorities to coordinate the repatriation of the injured and complete procedures for the deceased. It did not assign blame for the assault.
The attack was carried out by Russia, according to Ukraine’s Ministry for Restoration, facilities, and Transport, which described it as part of an ongoing campaign against civilian ships and port facilities.
On Wednesday, Russia’s Defence Ministry announced that it had attacked a tugboat and two cargo ships on route to Odesa, saying the ships were transporting military supplies. In response, Kyiv remained silent.
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