Panama’s Maritime Authority (AMP) announced late Friday that a Panama-flagged vessel was hit by a drone strike in the Black Sea, killing one crew member and injuring two others, according to Reuters.
The authority said the incident took place on Thursday, noting that one of the injured crew members remains in serious condition, while the vessel was able to continue on its course.
The AMP has also initiated the necessary procedures to obtain official details about the incident, while remaining in contact with all relevant parties.
Moreover, it did not specify the origin of the drone attack but urged vessels to refrain from transiting Ukrainian and Russian waters in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the north.
In a similar incident, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry announced two weeks ago that five of its citizens were killed and three others wounded in attacks targeting two cargo vessels in the Sea of Azov.
Ukraine said that its drones had targeted five ships in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, alongside vessels operating in the coastal waters of territories under Russian control.
In a statement, Robert Brovdi, Commander of Ukraine’s Drone Forces, said the strikes targeted dry cargo vessels and tanker allegedly involved in transporting “stolen” Ukrainian grain and as well as military cargo and fuel. Brovdi also added that the ships had obscured their names and switched off their radar systems.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin accused Ukraine of carrying out the attacks on the cargo vessels and extended his condolences to the families of the Azerbaijani sailors who were killed.
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