Baku: Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry reported that a search operation is underway for the Azerbaijani captain of the civilian merchant vessel "Atlas Bey," which was attacked by a drone off the coast of Odessa, Ukraine. The incident occurred on July 14 at approximately 15:15 local time and involved the vessel owned by the Turkish company "Okean Maritime."

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the vessel had 11 Azerbaijani crew members onboard. All were successfully evacuated to shore in Odessa, except for the ship's captain, who remains missing. The evacuated crew members are in satisfactory condition.

Efforts to locate the missing captain are actively ongoing. Additionally, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ukraine is in continuous communication with local authorities, ensuring that immediate consular support is available for the affected Azerbaijani citizens.