A general cargo ship sailing under the Tanzanian flag has been struck by a drone near the coast of Odesa, Ukraine, according to Azerbaijan’s ministry of foreign affairs.
According to the press service department of the ministry of foreign affairs, the civilian merchant vessel owned by a Turkish company was attacked near the Odesa coastline on July 14 at approximately 15:15 local time.
The ministry stated that 11 of the crew members aboard the vessel are citizens of Azerbaijan. According to available information, all crew members, with the exception of the ship’s captain, who is an Azerbaijani citizen, have been brought ashore in Odesa.
Their physical condition is currently assessed as satisfactory. Active measures are currently being taken to locate the missing ship’s captain.
The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ukraine is in constant contact with the relevant authorities and is taking appropriate measures to provide necessary consular support to the Azerbaijani citizens.
IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez warned Monday that a renewed wave of attacks targeting international shipping has emerged in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov region in recent days.
While recent events have focused international attention on the situation in and around the Strait of Hormuz, Dominguez said “we must not lose sight of the fact that seafarers continue to face serious threats in other parts of the world.”
“I deplore the series of attacks over the past week against civilian merchant ships operating in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea,” the secretary-general stated and urged all parties involved in conflicts to refrain from actions that endanger merchant vessels, seafarers and the marine environment.
