Rustam Ismayil Hasanov killed, crew member missing after drone attack on Royad Mammadov near Romania
An Azerbaijani ship captain was killed and another crew member remains missing after a drone attack on the cargo vessel Royad Mammadov in the Black Sea near Romania, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The captain was identified as Rustam Ismayil Hasanov, born in 1974.
Another Azerbaijani crew member, Mahammad Hamza Suleymanzade, born in 2002, remains missing as search operations continue.
The ministry said the other Azerbaijani sailors aboard the vessel were rescued, while three were hospitalized for treatment.
The Royad Mammadov was reportedly sailing from Izmail, Ukraine, toward Ravenna, Italy when it was struck near Romania’s coast, triggering a fire and emergency rescue operation.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said it is coordinating with diplomatic missions and authorities in the countries involved to provide medical and consular assistance, support the search effort and arrange the repatriation of the captain’s remains.
Authorities have not yet publicly established responsibility for the drone strike.
The incident comes amid growing concern over the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea as drone attacks increasingly affect maritime routes near Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria.
