Killing of 4 Indian seafarers: India summons Russian charge d’affaires

India has raised concerns with Russia after a deadly missile strike on a merchant vessel off Ukraine’s coast claimed the lives of four Indian seafarers, marking the first such fatalities involving Indian crew members since the Russia-Ukraine war began.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Russia’s charge d’affaires in New Delhi and conveyed that the attack on the Guinea-Bissau-flagged merchant vessel was unacceptable.

The vessel, MV Golden Leo, was struck while sailing from the Ukrainian port of Odesa, with 17 crew members, including five Indians, on board. According to the MEA, four Indian nationals were killed in the attack, while another remains hospitalised in critical condition.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha alleged that Russia targeted the civilian vessel as it navigated Ukraine’s maritime corridor. The Ukrainian Air Force said the ship was hit by Russian cruise missiles.

Calling the incident “deplorable”, India reiterated that attacks on commercial shipping and threats to innocent civilian crews must be avoided. Without directly naming Russia, the MEA stressed the importance of protecting freedom of navigation and ensuring the safety of maritime trade.

“The targeting of commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members is deplorable and should be avoided,” the ministry said.

The Indian mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and extending assistance to those affected. The MEA expressed condolences to the families of the deceased seafarers and wished a swift recovery to the injured crew member.

With PTI inputs