Azerbaijan reported the death of five of its citizens in an attack on ships in the Sea of ​​Azov.

Five Azerbaijani citizens were killed and three others were injured in a drone attack on two cargo ships in the Sea of ​​Azov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported.

On the night of June 5, drone attacks were carried out on two foreign cargo ships in the Sea of ​​Azov, with a total of 25 Azerbaijani citizens on board, said Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Ayhan Hajizade.

"The Russian side reported the death of five Azerbaijani citizens and the injury of three others. The injured were hospitalized in the city of Yeysk," Hajizade said in a written statement.

He emphasized that the attacked ships do not belong to Azerbaijan. "To clarify the circumstances of the incident and provide assistance to the victims, the Foreign Ministry is coordinating work with government agencies, diplomatic missions, and competent authorities of other states. "Several employees of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia have been dispatched to the scene," Hajizade continued.

Consular assistance and the repatriation of citizens are being monitored, he added.

According to Azerbaijani media, the Natra and Zirkon dry cargo ships, which were en route in ballast from Turkey to Rostov-on-Don to load grain, were attacked.

The Natra, a Belize-flagged ship en route from Turkey to the Russian port of Rostov-on-Don to load grain, was struck by four drone strikes around 12:45 AM Moscow time, Trend reported. Two crew members were killed. The fire that broke out on board was extinguished by the crew, but the vessel was damaged and requires towing.

Approximately an hour later, at 1:55 AM Moscow time, four drone strikes were recorded on the Palau-flagged motor vessel Zircon. According to the rescue center, the strikes hit the vessel's superstructure. Three crew members were killed, and the remaining sailors abandoned ship in lifeboats. The vessel continued to burn after the crew evacuated.

There were 12 people on board the Natra, and 14 on the Zircon. All crew members were Azerbaijani citizens working on the vessels under private contracts. The survivors were rescued by three nearby vessels and taken to the Russian port of Yeysk. Two tugboats have been dispatched to the scene to tow the damaged Natra vessel.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated that Ukraine is behind the attacks on Azerbaijani vessels.

He expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the deceased Azerbaijani sailors. "The loss of life is always a tragedy, always a grief for families and friends," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that official Baku and Moscow reported on the resolution of the consequences of the AZAL plane crash, including the issue of compensation. The cause of the tragedy was determined to be an "unintentional action of the air defense system."

On December 25, 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed at the airport in the Kazakh city of Aktau, killing 38 people. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Transport stated that the plane was damaged in Russian airspace as a result of an external impact. Relations between Moscow and Baku have noticeably worsened since the crash. More details can be found in the "Caucasian Knot" report "Baku-Grozny Plane Crash" and in the article "Geopolitical Confrontation: What Led to the Crash of the AZAL Plane".