India Condemns Attack on Ship off Ukraine's Coast That Killed Four Indians, Injured Another

New Delhi: India on Monday (July 20) condemned the attack on the commercial vessel MV Golden Leo that killed four Indian nationals and critically injured another after the ship was struck while departing Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, describing attacks on commercial shipping and civilian crew as "deplorable".

This is the first time that Indian merchant seafarers have died since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It also marks the second conflict this year in which Indian sailors have been killed, after at least 13 Indian seafarers died in attacks on commercial vessels during the US-Iran conflict around the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the growing risks faced by Indian crews working on merchant ships in conflict zones.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said the vessel, which had 17 crew members, was attacked in the evening of July 19.

“As per information available, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalised in a critical condition,” the ministry said. The Indian embassy in Ukraine was "closely monitoring the situation" and extending assistance to those affected.

According to Ukrainian authorities, nine crew members and a Ukrainian maritime pilot were killed, while eight others were rescued.

The ministry stated that “India condemns such attacks” and reiterated “that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, is deplorable and should be avoided”.

The Indian statement did not identify those responsible. In a Facebook post, Ukraine's Navy accused Russian forces of carrying out the strike.

The Guinea-Bissau-flagged bulk carrier was hit by three Kh-59/Kh-69 cruise missiles shortly after leaving Odesa with a cargo of grain, the Navy said, adding that the missiles struck the starboard side of the ship's superstructure and set off a fire on board.

While the Ukrainian Navy identified the vessel as Turkish-owned, Reuters, citing LSEG shipping data, reported that the vessel was owned by Mumbai-based Ocean Grace Shipping Ltd.

The Russian ministry of defence had posted on its Telegram channel on Sunday night that it had attacked “two bulk carrier-type vessels” anchored at Odesa port that were “carrying military cargo”.

According to the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's Minister for Communities and Territories Development, Mykola Kalashnyk, described the strike as an attack on "international civilian shipping" and "another attempt by Moscow to disrupt global food supplies". The Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office has opened a war crimes investigation into the attack, as per the newspaper.

One of the four Indians killed was identified as 26-year-old Akhil Joyan from Vellarikundu village in Kerala's Kasaragod district. The Indian Express reported that Joyan, who worked as a mariner for the past six years, had visited his parents last month when his marriage was fixed. "He was planning to sign off from this ship by the end of this month. He wanted to move to another firm," a family member told the newspaper.

The strike has been the deadliest attack on commercial shipping since violence in the Black Sea intensified in recent weeks, as part of a broader campaign by both Russia and Ukraine against port infrastructure and shipping since late June that has disrupted grain exports from the region.

The ship fatalities also adds to the toll of Indian nationals killed in the Ukraine war. Before the deaths aboard the Golden Leo, the conflict had claimed the life of medical student Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, who was killed in shelling in Kharkiv in March 2022.

The Indian government had also told the Indian Supreme Court in May that 49 Indian nationals who had been recruited into the Russian military after allegedly being lured with promises of support jobs had died in the conflict.

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