2 Azerbaijanis killed in drone attack as Russia strikes ships in Black Sea

Unidentified drones attacked the foreign cargo vessel Tedy on Sept. 9, killing two Azerbaijani citizens and injuring two others, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry didn't provide details on who operated the drones or where the attack took place. The attack came amid continued Russian strikes on civilian vessels in the Black Sea near Odesa Oblast in Ukraine's south.

According to the statement, the injured Azerbaijani citizens were taken to a hospital in the city of Chornomorsk in Odesa Oblast.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported on Sept. 10 Moscow had attacked two dry cargo vessels heading to Odesa and a tugboat over the past day, claiming they were carrying supplies for the Ukrainian army.

Kyiv has not commented on the alleged attacks. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

The reports come as attacks by Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea have intensified over the spring and summer.

In July, Ukraine launched Operation Molochka, a campaign targeting Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in an effort to tighten the noose around Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula.

Turkey called on Moscow and Kyiv in August to impose a moratorium on attacks against vessels, following a series of strikes in the region that involved Turkish-flagged ships.

While Kyiv has said it is ready to accept a moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea, Moscow has shown no interest in de-escalating the situation.

Asked on Sept. 10 whether the ongoing attacks could negatively affect Russia-Turkey relations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said they could not. He claimed that previous Ukrainian attacks on Russian "economic facilities" had "opened Pandora's box."

He also threatened that commercial vessels "used to transport weapons" would be "destroyed and continue to be destroyed."

Since civilian shipping from Ukrainian ports in Odesa Oblast resumed after the Black Sea grain deal agreed on in 2022, Russia has regularly targeted civilian shipping in the corridor, including large vessels carrying Ukrainian grain to countries in the Global South.