Black Sea drone strikes terrorize Turkish sailors as attacks surge

A Ukrainian drone strike on a Turkish fishing boat in the Black Sea on June 5 severely injured five crew members, killing one, as attacks on commercial vessels have surged amid the Russia-Ukraine war, with Turkish ships increasingly targeted. The attack, which Ankara says was a Ukrainian "mistake," left the boat sinking and the captain with a severed carotid artery. Turkey has recorded 226 civilian vessel attacks since the war began, with 163 in the first eight months of 2026, including 22 Turkish-owned ships in the preceding two months. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the strikes as "unacceptable" at the UN, while sailors report refusing Black Sea jobs due to PTSD and fear. Experts say both Russia and Ukraine are targeting non-belligerents to deny each other maritime advantages, leaving Turkey with limited options.