A Turkish ship, Atlas Bey, was struck by a drone near Odessa. The captain is missing, while the crew has been safely evacuated.
The civil trade ship named Atlas Bey, owned by a Turkish company, was attacked by a drone strike while sailing off the coast of Odessa, Ukraine. Following the attack, there has been no news from the ship's Azerbaijani captain, while the other crew members were safely evacuated.
According to a statement from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the attack occurred around 15:15 local time. The 11 Azerbaijani crew members on board, except for the captain, were disembarked in Odessa. Their health conditions are reported to be good, and search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the missing captain.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba announced that the attack caused a fire on the ship. Initial reports indicate that one person has died and many others have been injured, while no definitive statement regarding the fate of the missing captain has yet been made by official authorities.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the embassy in Kiev is in constant contact with Ukrainian authorities and that necessary consular support is being provided to the crew. It was emphasized that efforts to locate the missing captain are ongoing.
The attack has brought renewed attention to the security risks facing commercial vessels in the Black Sea. Recently, trade ships entering and exiting Ukrainian ports have been facing increasing threats due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Note: Information regarding the incident currently relies primarily on statements from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ukrainian officials. A comprehensive official statement has not yet been made by the Turkish company to which the ship is affiliated, nor by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey and the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The situation of the missing captain and the details of the attack are expected to be clarified as a result of the investigation.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
