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Türkiye's Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday that two Turkish nationals were injured after a Turkish-owned, Panama-flagged cargo vessel was struck by a drone off Ukraine's Chornomorsk port in the Black Sea.
"It has been learned that two of our citizens, who were among the crew of the Turkish-owned, Panama-flagged vessel that was attacked by an unmanned aerial vehicle off Ukraine's Chornomorsk Port this morning (June 22), were injured," the ministry said in a statement.
"The condition of our citizens is being closely monitored by our Embassy in Kyiv and our Consulate General in Odessa."
The ministry also voiced concern over the growing risks posed by the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war.
"Our discomfort over the attacks threatening our interests in the Black Sea and regional security as a result of the escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war is being conveyed to the authorities of both countries," the statement said.
"Ensuring the safety of civilian navigation in the Black Sea is among our country's fundamental priorities, and we call on all relevant parties to take measures that will reduce tensions in the region."
Russian drones killed five people early Monday, including an Egyptian sailor in the Black Sea and a family of three in Ukraine's northern Sumy region, Ukrainian officials said.
Moscow and Kyiv have intensified attacks on each other in recent weeks, as U.S.-led talks on ending Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II remain effectively frozen.
"A drone strike set fire to a vessel sailing under the flag of Panama. A crew member was killed, a 58-year-old cook, a citizen of Egypt," Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said on Telegram.
Eight other sailors, including citizens of Türkiye and India, abandoned the ship on a life raft, while the vessel "sustained significant damage and lost seaworthiness," Kuleba added.
In a separate Russian drone strike, a family of three was killed in the Sumy region: a 13-year-old boy, his 36-year-old father and his 73-year-old grandmother, the region's prosecution service said.
"The 31-year-old mother of the deceased boy, his 10-year-old brother, and 13-year-old sister were also injured," it added.
A Russian drone also set a home ablaze in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing a woman, the region's governor said on Telegram.
In Russia, aviation authorities briefly closed Moscow's four airports after air defenses intercepted a flurry of Ukrainian drones.
Russian air defenses destroyed 301 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Moscow-installed authorities in the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula suspended fuel sales Sunday after a string of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries in Russia.
On Monday, officials there announced they were halting children's group summer trips to the peninsula because of the worsening situation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly rejected an offer from Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy for direct peace talks, vowing instead to achieve Russia's war aims on the battlefield.
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