Two Azerbaijani Sailors Killed in Drone Strike Near Odesa

Two Azerbaijani citizens were killed and two others suffered burns when drones struck the tug boat TEDY near the port of Odesa on 9 Sep 2026, according to the public association Support for Azerbaijani Sailors. Aslan Aliyev and Asim Gasimov died in the attack, while Imran Novruzov and Rauf Aliyev were injured and hospitalized in Chornomorsk. Russia's Defense Ministry said the same day that its forces had struck a tug escorting ships into Odesa, without naming the vessel, though the timing and location match the reported attack on TEDY. The vessel, which had 10 crew members aboard — four Azerbaijani, three Turkish, two German and one Ukrainian citizen — was first struck while near Odesa and then attacked twice more overnight while heading toward the Romanian port of Constanța. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry confirmed the casualties and said it was coordinating with Ukrainian authorities to assist the injured and repatriate the bodies of those killed. The ministry also urged Azerbaijani citizens to avoid working aboard vessels transiting active conflict zones. TEDY, a roughly 30-meter tug built in 1995 and registered under the Somali flag, is owned and operated by Turkey's Mert Marine Corporation, according to vessel tracking data. Tracking records show the ship departed Midia, Romania, on 7 Sep 2026 before losing its signal near Snake Island the following day. The incident adds to a pattern of attacks on foreign-crewed vessels in the Black and Azov seas in recent months, including strikes on the Natra, Circon, Atlas Bey, Venturo and Golden Leo, which have killed dozens of sailors and prompted diplomatic protests from several countries.