Turkish fishing boat attacked and sunk off Crimea, one crew member dead and four injured
The Turkish-flagged fishing vessel DURU 67 was attacked and sank off Sevastopol on 5 June, leaving one crew member dead and four others wounded during evacuation toward the Turkish coast.
The attack
A Turkish fishing boat was attacked on Friday 5 June in the Black Sea near the coast of Crimea, according to a statement from the Turkish coast guard command. The vessel, the Turkish-flagged DURU 67, was targeted off Sevastopol, in the west of the Crimean peninsula, a Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia. The boat sustained damage and sank after the attack. Turkish authorities did not immediately provide details on how the attack was carried out or identify who was responsible.
Rescue and casualties
Another fishing boat in the area, named BURAK KAYA, quickly evacuated the five injured fishermen from the sinking vessel and set course for Inebolu, on Turkey's Black Sea coast. A coast guard ship with a 19-person specialist medical team departed Inebolu port at 12:35 local time. The team reached the BURAK KAYA at 19:20, 115 nautical miles north of Inebolu, where they transferred the deceased fisherman's body and the injured crew aboard and began medical treatment.
Unfortunately, one of the injured fishermen, who was in critical condition, died during the evacuation.
Regional tensions
The incident follows a pattern of heightened security risks in the Black Sea since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both sides have frequently targeted each other's vessels and ports. In late May, Turkey warned of an "uncontrolled escalation" in the Black Sea region after a drone attack on a Turkish cargo ship. The Ukrainian navy stated at the time that a Russian drone had targeted the vessel. In December 2025, Ukraine accused Russia of striking a Turkish commercial ship with a drone, one day after a Russian airstrike damaged another Turkish vessel.
- Turkish coast guard ship departs Inebolu port with 19-person medical team.
- Medical team reaches BURAK KAYA 115 nautical miles north of Inebolu; transfers deceased and injured.
- DURU 67 attacked and sinks off Sevastopol; BURAK KAYA evacuates five injured crew.
Unanswered questions
No party has claimed responsibility for the attack on the DURU 67. The Turkish foreign ministry said it had "expressed warnings" to all relevant parties. The area where the attack occurred is considered militarily sensitive, and navigation in the Black Sea remains affected by high security risks. The Turkish coast guard has not released further details on the nature of the weapon used or the precise location of the sinking.
