Drone Attack on Merchant Vessel off Odesa Leaves Azerbaijani Captain Missing
Baku, The Gulf Observer: Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that a civilian merchant vessel carrying Azerbaijani crew members came under a drone attack near Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, with search efforts continuing for the missing ship’s captain.
According to the ministry, the Turkish-owned merchant vessel “Atlas Bey,” operated by Okean Maritime, was attacked at approximately 3:15 p.m. local time on July 14 near the coast of Odesa, Ukraine.
The ministry said 11 members of the vessel’s crew are Azerbaijani nationals. All crew members, except the ship’s captain—who is also an Azerbaijani citizen—were successfully evacuated to shore in Odesa. Their physical condition has been assessed as satisfactory.
Search and rescue operations are currently underway to locate the missing captain.
The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ukraine is maintaining close contact with the relevant Ukrainian authorities and is taking all necessary measures to provide immediate consular assistance and support to the Azerbaijani citizens affected by the incident.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said it is closely monitoring the situation and will continue coordinating with local authorities as search efforts remain ongoing.
