Turkish sailors have shared harrowing accounts of being caught in the crossfire of the Russia-Ukraine war, as drone attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea have increased in recent months. On June 5, the Turkish-flagged commercial ship Duru 67 was struck by a drone off the coast of Crimea, causing an explosion that threw the crew onto the main deck. Ahmet Ozlu, 40, one of five fishermen aboard, described the incident, saying the explosion "lifted us and threw us left and right, it was very powerful." A fire broke out and the ship began taking on water, with the captain, Cuneyt Varlik, 45, found lying in a pool of blood after being struck by a fragment. The crew waited an hour for rescue as the ship sank. The fishermen claim that Turkish coast guards identified the drone as Ukrainian, suggesting it was a "mistake." However, they express disbelief, stating, "It is impossible to work in the Black Sea." Ahmet's older brother, Mehmet Ozlu, 53, who suffered serious injuries, said, "We would never have thought that Ukraine would attack us because our flag was raised. We are civilians, our boat does not carry weapons." According to the Turkish Maritime Chamber of Commerce (IMEAK), 226 civilian and commercial ships have been attacked in the Black Sea since the start of the war, with the majority of these attacks occurring this year. IMEAK president Tamer Kiran noted that 163 of these attacks occurred in the first eight months of 2026, highlighting the severity of the situation. A total of 22 ships belonging to Turkish shipowners have been attacked in the past two months, with four more added since. Enes Torun, 21, a trainee ship captain, was injured by shrapnel from a drone on July 22 while sleeping on the MV Reyhan Sari, which was transporting Russian coal. He suffered one dead and three injured. Though his physical recovery is good, he suffers from post-traumatic stress and has not returned to sea. He said, "Last year, I went to Ukraine when the war was not as intense. But today, going to the Black Sea means accepting the possibility of dying." Turkey has expressed frustration with the attacks, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accusing the belligerents of "striking all commercial ships without distinction." Ankara has presented the belligerents with a new proposal to end the strikes, but the minister admitted they returned with "difficult positions to reconcile." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently denounced the "unacceptable" attacks, further straining relations with both Ukraine and Russia. The Turkish Maritime Workers Platform condemned the "flagrant disregard for civilian lives" by the two states, stating they "ignore the lives of seafarers, solely to harm the economic interests of the other." Enes Torun explained that for shipowners, the risk is financial, as "if the ship is hit, it touches the insurance money. And if it is not, it earns ten times more than what it would get in Europe." However, it is the crew who face the danger. Observers suggest that Turkey has limited means to achieve a favorable outcome, with Russia and Ukraine both seeking to prevent the Black Sea from being used by ships from the other side, even if it means targeting non-belligerents. Serhat Guvenc from Kadir Has University noted that Ukraine may be trying to show Turkey the "cost of inaction" due to its reluctance to restrict Russian ships. He predicted that Ankara might change its stance if the attacks worsen. In the meantime, residents of the Black Sea region have no choice but to continue working, as fishing is a vital part of the regional economy. Mustafa Yilmaz, a local official, said that even during artisanal fishing, people do not feel safe, with many expressing anxiety about being struck at night.