Turkish fishing boat struck by drone off Crimea

The crew of the Turkish-flagged fishing boat Duru 67 was injured during a drone strike off the coast of Crimea. The incident, which occurred on June 5, involved two explosions that caused a fire and led the vessel to sink.

Captain Cüneyt Varlık, 45, died from shrapnel wounds sustained during the attack. Other crew members, including Ahmet Özlü and Mehmet Özlü, suffered extensive internal and external injuries. While no group has officially claimed responsibility, the Turkish Coast Guard indicated to the survivors that a Ukrainian drone may have struck the vessel by mistake.

The attack highlights the increasing danger to commercial and civilian vessels in the Black Sea as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine intensifies. According to Tamer Kıran, chairman of Turkey’s Chamber of Maritime Commerce, approximately 226 civilian and commercial vessels have been attacked in the region since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.