Condemn such attacks, says MEA after Russian missile kills 4 Indians on vessel

The Odesa region and Ukraine’s last remaining maritime export corridor have come under sustained attack in recent weeks as Russia has stepped up its offensive.

India on Monday condemned a Russian attack on a Guinea Bissau-flagged merchant vessel off the coast of Ukraine that killed 10 people, including four Indian seafarers, and reiterated its call for an end to the targeting of commercial shipping during conflicts.

This is the first instance of the death of Indian seafarers in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. More than half a dozen Indian seafarers have died in Iranian and US attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, prompting New Delhi to lodge strong protests with Tehran and Washington.

The MV Golden Leo, a general cargo ship, was attacked on Sunday evening while it was departing the port of Odesa. At the time of the incident, there were 17 crew members on board, including five Indian nationals.

Four Indian crew members were killed, and one was “hospitalised in a critical condition”, the external affairs ministry said in a statement. Ukraine’s seaport authority said on Monday that nine crew members of the Golden Leo and a Ukrainian pilot from the port were among the dead.

The Golden Leo was hit by Russian cruise missiles that caused a fire, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

Without directly naming Russia, the external affairs ministry’s statement said: “India condemns such attacks and reiterates 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 embassy in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and making every effort to extend assistance to those affected. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and wish the injured Indian national a speedy and full recovery,” the statement said.

The Odesa region and Ukraine’s last remaining maritime export corridor have come under sustained attack in recent weeks as Russia has stepped up its offensive. This has included Russian attacks on foreign-flagged cargo ships that carry cargo along the Romanian and Bulgarian coast to Turkey.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha‎ said Russia attacked a civilian vessel navigating Ukraine’s maritime corridor. “The crew included citizens of Syria and India,” he said on social media.

“A civilian ship. An international crew. A route serving global food security. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin saw another target,” Sybiha‎ said. “This attack leaves no room for illusions. Putin’s Russia does not care whom it kills. Ukrainians or citizens of any other nation.”

Sybiha‎ contended the attack was not an isolated incident, as Russia had attacked another Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel in the Black Sea and killed one person and injured three others. “Russia is deliberately turning freedom of navigation into a target of war,” he said.

The minister said he had discussed this issue with the leadership of the International Maritime Organization and called for the deployment of an international monitoring mission to Ukraine’s ports. “We expect this mission to begin its work as planned in the fall and help document every act of Russia’s maritime terror, paving the way for accountability,” he said.

Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music.