On the night of June 5, 2026, two bulk carriers — “Natra” and “Zirkon” — were reportedly attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles in the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov. According to the information, a total of 5 seafarers were killed in the incident.
It is reported that:
The vessel “Natra” was hit by 4 UAV strikes; 2 people were killed, the fire was extinguished, and the ship remained afloat.
The vessel “Zirkon” was also struck 4 times; 3 people were killed, the crew abandoned the ship in lifeboats, and the fire continued.
According to sea-news.az that there were a total of 26 seafarers on board both vessels, and they were stated to be citizens of Azerbaijan. The ships were sailing under the flags of Belize and Palau and were owned by foreign companies.
Survivors were rescued by other passing vessels and taken to the port of Yeysk. Operations to tow the damaged ships have begun.
