Details added: first version posted on 10:02
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 5. On the night of June 5, 2026, in the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov, UAVs attacked two cargo ships—the Natra and the Zircon—en route in ballast from Türkiye to Rostov-on-Don to load grain, resulting in the death of five people, Trend reports, citing data from the Taman Marine Rescue and Coordination Center received at 3:04 AM Moscow time.
"Four UAV hits were recorded on the Natra; two crew members were killed, the fire was extinguished by the crew, the vessel remains afloat and requires towing. Four hits were also recorded on the Zircon ship near the superstructure, three crew members were killed, the crew abandoned the ship in lifeboats, and the vessel is burning," the operational report said.
The Natra ship (flagged by Belize) was carrying 12 people, while the Zircon (flagged by Palau) was carrying 14. All were Azerbaijani citizens privately employed as hired seamen. Both vessels fly foreign flags and have no affiliation with the Azerbaijani state. The attacks occurred just over an hour apart: the Natra was hit at 12:45 AM, and the Zircon at 1:55 AM.
The survivors were picked up by three vessels passing the area of the tragedy. By morning, all the rescued sailors were transported to the port of Yeysk. Two tugboats were dispatched to tow the damaged Natra, which remained afloat.
