A Ukrainian sailor has been missing since July 5 in the northern Mozambique Channel, with search efforts now focused on Madagascar's northern coast. Yehor Zadorozhniy, 28, second lieutenant of the bridge aboard the merchant vessel M/V Aetos, left the bridge early afternoon to train on deck.

According to witness accounts, he was wearing sports clothing, a smartwatch, and earphones, and had taken his work phone. Hours later, only a resistance band was found, leaving the exact circumstances of his disappearance unclear.

No other personal items were discovered and no trace has determined what happened. The ship was traveling between Brazil and Oman when it reported the incident.

Seychelles maritime authorities issued an official notice asking ship captains and fishermen to increase vigilance in the western Indian Ocean.

While initial searches focused around Aldabra and Assumption islands, the hypothesis of drifting toward Madagascar's coasts is now being taken seriously.

To date, no official communication has been published by Madagascar's maritime authorities, despite growing concern from the sailor's family and loved ones. Yehor's partner, Yuliia Bezzubchenko, is making repeated calls for help. She is asking residents of northern Madagascar's coastal regions, particularly Antsiranana, Nosy Be, Ambanja, Analalava, and Antsohihy, to share the search notice and report any information, however minor.

She describes her partner as a man measuring 1.81m, athletic build, with short brown hair, well-groomed beard, and brown eyes, with no tattoos. Fishermen, guides, drivers, hospital staff, and coastal village residents are urged to pay attention to any clues.

The Seamen's Club Ukraine, a sailors' support organization, has also relayed the appeal, emphasizing the urgency of extending the search internationally. Its representatives are calling for aerial reconnaissance, inspections of isolated coastlines, and an independent investigation into the circumstances of the disappearance, which the family considers suspicious.

The family states that no signs of personal distress had been noticed in Yehor before the incident and questions the crew's initial reaction and how the incident was classified.