A fishing vessel flying the Turkish flag sank after an attack in the northern part of the Black Sea, according to Turkish authorities cited by "Associated Press." One sailor was killed and four others were injured in the incident.
The ship "Duru 67" was attacked on Friday in the waters west of "Sevastopol". As a result of the impact, the vessel received serious damage and subsequently sank.
The five sailors aboard were picked up by another Turkish fishing trawler – “Burak Kaya”, which came to their aid. During the return course to Turkey, one of the injured died from his injuries despite being given assistance.
A ship of the Turkish Coast Guard with a medical team on board also participated in the rescue and assistance operation. It reached “Burak Kaya” about 115 nautical miles north of the Turkish port of "İnebolu", from where the injured were transported for hospital treatment.
Currently, there is no official information as to who is behind the attack. No country has taken responsibility for the attack on the fishing vessel.
The incident occurs against the backdrop of ongoing risks to navigation in the Black Sea following the start of the war between "Russia" and "Ukraine" in February 2022. The waters in the region have repeatedly become a scene of attacks on various vessels.
Last November, Turkish authorities condemned drone attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea, warning that such actions create a “serious risk to navigation safety, the lives of crews and environmental security in the region”.