BAKU, Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said the captain of the cargo ship Royad Mammadov, Azerbaijani citizen Rustam Ismayil oglu Hasanov, was killed in the Black Sea incident, while Mahammad Hamza oglu Suleymanzade remains missing and three other Azerbaijanis are hospitalized.
The ministry released the updated information on the morning of Oct. 6, clarifying the preliminary casualty reports issued after the ship was attacked.
Hasanov, the captain, was born in 1974. Suleymanzade, the missing sailor, was born in 2002. Search efforts are continuing. The other Azerbaijani crew members were rescued, and three are receiving hospital treatment.
Consular Assistance and Warning to Seafarers
The Foreign Ministry said it is coordinating with Azerbaijani diplomatic missions and the authorities of the countries involved. Officials are arranging medical and consular assistance for the injured and procedures to return the captain’s body to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani citizens were again advised not to enter active combat zones or work aboard transport, including ships, operating on high-risk routes.
The Royad Mammadov was hit Oct. 5 near Romania’s coast. Romanian authorities confirmed a fire, the sinking of the vessel, two deaths and the rescue of 11 crew members. Ukraine said the ship was struck by Russian drones, but Bucharest has not officially established the cause.
This is a material update to the initial report because it identifies the Azerbaijani victim, confirms another citizen is missing and gives the condition of three hospitalized crew members.
Sources: APA; Vesti Baku.