MOSCOW, July 27. /TASS/. The Iranian merchant ship that was attacked by the Ukrainian army in the Caspian Sea was not carrying military cargo, Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said.

"The [strike] was a crime. It was a civilian vessel and, despite certain claims, it was not carrying any military cargo," he said.

"As soon as we learned that the vessel had been attacked, our consulate in Astrakhan [in southern Russia] became actively involved. Our Russian friends provided assistance in evacuating the crew members from the area as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, one of our fellow citizens was killed in the incident and several Iranian nationals were injured. We extend our condolences to the family of the deceased," the diplomat added.

On July 25, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reported that Ukraine had carried out a strike on an Iranian merchant ship in the Caspian Sea, killing one crew member.