Russia strikes foreign tugboat near Ukraine's Odesa, killing Azerbaijani citizens
Illustrative photo: Russia strikes a foreign tugboat near Odesa (Getty Images)
As a result of another Russian attack on civilian shipping in the Odesa region, two Azerbaijani citizens were killed, and two others were injured, according to the Ministry for the Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine.
Aftermath of the strike on the vessel
Russian forces struck the Tedy, a civilian tugboat sailing under a foreign flag.
Two crew members, both Azerbaijani citizens, were killed in the attack.
Information on the other casualties is as follows:
- Two Azerbaijani citizens were injured and are currently receiving treatment in hospital.
- Six sailors, also Azerbaijani citizens, received medical assistance at the scene and did not require hospitalization.
The ministry expressed condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Systematic attacks on infrastructure
Russia continues to deliberately target civilian vessels and Ukraine’s port infrastructure. This poses a direct threat to the lives of both Ukrainian and foreign sailors.
Ukraine is documenting every such incident and systematically informing international partners about Russian attacks on civilian shipping and transport infrastructure.
Russian strikes on civilian shipping and port infrastructure have already led to a sharp decline in activity at key seaports in the Odesa region.
As previously reported, continued Russian attacks have caused the flow of vessels through Odesa to fall seven- to eightfold, with overall traffic declining by 75%.
This has almost completely halted operations at the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi, forcing Ukraine to seek assistance from international partners.
In addition, the prolonged blockade of the Greater Odesa ports is threatening the country’s GDP.
The closure and restrictions on Ukrainian ports are causing millions of dollars in losses to the metals industry and agricultural exports, while around 4–5 million tonnes of critical cargo are at risk each month.
