Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry announced Friday that five citizens of the country died and three more were wounded during attacks on two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov.
The ministry, responding to inquiries about the vessels struck in Taganrog Bay, confirmed that a total of 25 Azerbaijani nationals were working aboard the ships as crew members, though the vessels themselves are not owned by Azerbaijan.
Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attacks earlier Friday, stating that its unmanned aircraft had targeted five ships operating in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, along with vessels in coastal waters under Russian control.
Robert Brovdi, the commander of Ukrainian drone forces, issued a statement saying his aircraft struck dry cargo vessels and a tanker that were participating in “stealing” Ukrainian grain and moving military cargo and fuel, with the ships’ names covered over and their radar systems disabled.
