Azerbaijan announced on Friday that five of its citizens were killed and three others injured in overnight drone attacks targeting two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov, in an incident linked to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the attacks struck two foreign commercial vessels carrying Azerbaijani nationals on board. According to Baku, 25 Azerbaijani citizens were present on the ships at the time of the attack.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed that the drone strikes resulted in five deaths and several injuries, while the wounded were transferred to a hospital in the Russian city of Yeysk for treatment, according to news reports.
The ships involved were not owned by the Azerbaijani government, officials said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin blamed Ukraine for carrying out the attack, accusing Kyiv of targeting commercial shipping in the area.
Meanwhile, Robert Provdy, known as “Madyar,” commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces, said on Telegram that Ukrainian drones had targeted “five ships operating illegally” in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, territories currently under Russian control.
The Sea of Azov has become an increasingly sensitive military zone since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, with repeated attacks reported on ports, naval infrastructure and commercial vessels operating near occupied territories.
The latest incident is expected to increase regional tensions and could further complicate maritime security in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov region.
