Drone attacks on the 'TEDY' tugboat near Odessa result in 2 Azerbaijani sailors dead and 2 injured, prompting diplomatic efforts for their return.
Off the coast of Ukraine's Odessa Port, the tugboat named 'TEDY,' which has 3 Turkish and 4 Azerbaijani citizens aboard, was targeted by consecutive drone attacks. In these attacks, 2 Azerbaijani sailors lost their lives, while 2 others were injured.
Consecutive drone attacks on the tugboat with Turkish and Azerbaijani sailors off the coast of Odessa resulted in 2 dead.
The Somali-flagged tugboat 'TEDY,' which has 3 Turkish and 4 Azerbaijani citizens aboard, was the target of consecutive drone attacks off the coast of Ukraine's Odessa Port. In the attacks, two Azerbaijani citizens lost their lives, while two Azerbaijani sailors were injured.
According to a statement from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 'TEDY' tugboat, owned by Mert Marine Corporation, was attacked by drones on September 9 in the Black Sea, near Odessa Port.
The Somali-flagged tugboat, with IMO number 9059200, had a total crew of 10. Among the crew, 4 were Azerbaijani, 3 were Turkish, 2 were German, and 1 was Ukrainian.
After the initial attack, the damaged 'TEDY' was targeted by drone attacks two more times while it was heading towards Romania's Constanța Port during the night.
As a result of the consecutive attacks, Azerbaijani sailors Aslan Aliyev and Asim Gasimov lost their lives. Imran Novruzov and Rauf Aliyev were injured. The injured sailors were taken to a hospital in Ukraine's Chornomorsk for treatment.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that diplomatic and consular efforts are ongoing to ensure the return of the injured sailors to the country after their treatment. The ministry also reiterated its warning to Azerbaijani citizens not to work in regions where the war is ongoing and the security situation is unstable due to the continuing military activities in the area.
While foreign sources provide different statements regarding the responsibility for the attack, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not specify the perpetrator of the attack in its statement.
'TEDY' is a Somali-flagged tugboat with IMO number 9059200. The owner of the vessel is listed as Mert Marine Corporation.
VesselFinder shows the ship as an Offshore Tug/Supply Ship. The current record indicates that the vessel is approximately 30 meters long and 8 meters wide.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
