In the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian drone strikes targeted two foreign-flagged vessels, resulting in the deaths of five Azerbaijani nationals and injuries to three others. The ships, the Beliz-flagged Natra and Palau-flagged Zirkon, were en route from Türkiye to the Russian port of Rostov-on-Don when they were struck early Friday. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the attacks and labeled them as acts of terrorism by the Ukrainian regime, which it accused of increasingly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian drone commander Robert Brovdi later acknowledged the strikes, asserting that the vessels were involved in transporting military supplies and attempting to steal Ukrainian grain. This incident underscores the escalating conflict, as Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone operations against Russian targets since mid-March, leading to significant civilian casualties in previous attacks. Moscow has condemned these actions, characterizing them as indiscriminate assaults on civilian areas.