The war in Ukraine continues to claim victims far from the front lines. A Turkish-flagged fishing trawler, the DURU 67, was attacked and sunk in the Black Sea near Sevastopol, Crimea, killing one crew member and injuring four others. A nearby fishing vessel, the BURAK KAYA, rescued the survivors and headed for the Turkish port of Inebolu, but one critically injured sailor died during the journey.
Ukrainian forces have frequently targeted vessels, ports, and other infrastructure around the Crimean peninsula since Russia’s annexation in 2014. The incident underscores the danger facing civilian maritime traffic in an active conflict zone and will likely add further strain to Turkey’s delicate diplomatic balancing act between Kyiv and Moscow. [19]
