New details have emerged regarding the drone attack on the Turkish-flagged cargo vessel “Röyad Məmmədov,” which was transporting grain from Ukraine to Italy, in international waters approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast of Romania.
Sea-news.az reports that the vessel’s crew comprised 13 members in total—11 Azerbaijani nationals and 2 Indian citizens.
According to reports, the vessel was struck by two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One drone struck the ship’s navigation bridge, while the second impacted the galley section.
The attack resulted in the deaths of the vessel’s captain and the cook. The captain, identified as Rustam, had his body successfully recovered from the ship. The body of the cook, a resident of Masally District, remained aboard the damaged vessel, which subsequently sank.
Eight crew members injured during the attack are currently receiving medical treatment in the hospital. Other crew members were discharged following initial medical evaluations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also issued a statement regarding the incident on social media platform X. He stated that two drones, allegedly belonging to Russia, struck a civilian grain carrier flying the Turkish flag in international waters.
According to Zelenskyy, citizens of Azerbaijan and India were aboard the vessel. His post noted that preliminary information indicates the ship’s captain lost his life in the attack, while the fate of one other individual remains unknown. Eleven crew members were rescued.
The Ukrainian President emphasized that Ukraine has repeatedly put forward concrete initiatives to ensure maritime safety and de-escalate tensions in the Black Sea.
“Despite this, instead of ensuring normal maritime navigation, Russia continues to target civilian vessels. Applying appropriate pressure is essential to restore global food security, and the support of all interested parties is considered crucial,” Zelenskyy stated.
