India has condemned the attack on a merchant vessel near the Ukrainian port of Odessa on Sunday, which left four Indian sailors dead and one critically injured. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated India’s opposition to attacks on merchant vessels, stating that such incidents violate the freedom of navigation.
The incident occurred when the vessel MV Golden Leo was attacked while departing the port of Odessa. At the time of the incident, there were 17 crew members on board, including five Indian nationals. According to the MEA, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalized in a critical condition.
The Acting Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, has blamed Russia for the attack, stating that it was not an isolated incident. He said Russia attacked another merchant vessel with the flag of Antigua and Barbuda in the Black Sea on Saturday. Ukraine has informed the International Maritime Organization and Ukraine’s international partners about Russia’s latest attacks on civilian shipping.
The incident is the first instance of Indian seafarers being killed in the Russia-Ukraine war that started in February 2022. India has condemned 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 MEA has stated that India’s Mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to extend all possible assistance to those affected. The Ministry has extended its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and wishes the injured Indian national a speedy and full recovery.
One of the deceased sailors has been identified as Akhil Joyan, 26, a resident of Kasaragod district in Kerala. Family sources said he was the only son of Joyan, a merchant, and Saly, a collection agent at the postal department. He joined the shipping industry as a mariner after completing a course in nautical science from Chennai and had been working on the ship for the last six years.
Akhil was planning to sign off from the ship by the end of this month and was set to get married. His family has been contacted by the shipping firm, and the Non-resident Keralites Affairs Department has been entrusted with contacting the Ministry of External Affairs and the Russian Consulate to obtain further details.
