Five Azerbaijanis Killed In Azov Sea Drone Strike As Moscow Blames Kyiv

Five Azerbaijani citizens were killed and three injured in a drone strike on cargo vessels in the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said.

The attack occurred overnight on Friday, with Russia blaming Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s drone forces commander said Kyiv had targeted vessels allegedly carrying illegal cargo in the area, without directly addressing the accusations from Moscow or Baku.

Baku said the attack hit two cargo ships, Natra and Zircon, which were carrying 25 Azerbaijani nationals. The wounded were taken to hospitals in Russia’s Yeysk, while Azerbaijani embassy staff were dispatched to the area.

The ministry stressed that the vessels were not owned by Azerbaijan, adding that Azerbaijani citizens were working on board voluntarily and not under any state assignment.

No further details were given on the ownership of the ships or their flag.

Additionally, Azerbaijan did not specify who carried out the strike or provide an assessment of responsibility.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Moscow “knows very well who is using drones, both aerial and naval, to attack peaceful civilian vessels in the waters of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea,” in comments carried by Russian state media.

He confirmed, when asked, that he was referring to Ukraine.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said 123 Ukrainian drones were destroyed overnight across multiple regions, including over the Sea of Azov.

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Satellite Imagery Confirms Ukrainian Drones Did Big Damage During Putin Conference

Ukrainian drones struck St. Petersburg’s oil terminal – causing large fires and multiple tanks hit – and set the corvette Boykiy ablaze in Kronstadt drydock on June 3 – the opening day of a Kremlin-promoted blue-ribbon conference called SPIEF. Satellite imagery confirmed the damage and smoke was visible to delegates. Russian state media ignored the strike and instead highlighted Russia’s importance and the conference’s “multipolar success” with 20,000 attendees from 130+ countries.

Russian media reports also said a tanker and two cargo ships were damaged in the Taganrog Bay area, with conflicting accounts of casualties.

The commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces, Robert Brovdi, said Ukrainian drones struck five “illegally loitering vessels” overnight on Friday, in the ports of Mariupol and Berdiansk, as well as in coastal waters of temporarily occupied territories.

He said the vessels were being used to transport grain from occupied Ukrainian regions but did not directly comment on Azerbaijani reports of deaths or injuries.

Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the reported casualties or the allegations.