Four Indian seafarers were killed, and one was critically injured when the Guinea-Bissau-flagged merchant vessel MV Golden Leo was struck by a missile while leaving Ukraine’s Port of Odesa. This incident marks the first fatalities of Indian seafarers since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that the attack occurred on the evening of July 19 as the ship navigated Ukraine’s maritime corridor in the Black Sea, where it was part of a crew of 17, including five Indian nationals.
The MEA expressed profound condolences to the families of the deceased and wished for the recovery of the injured crew member. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and providing assistance to those affected. In response, India strongly condemned the attack on commercial shipping, highlighting that such actions jeopardize innocent lives and disrupt essential maritime commerce.
Ukrainian authorities confirmed the MV Golden Leo was hit by Russian cruise missiles, calling it a civilian vessel with an international crew navigating a route critical to global food security. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized that this attack illustrated a pattern of targeting commercial shipping and urged the International Maritime Organization to deploy an international monitoring mission to document these incidents.
Reports suggest that the overall death toll from this attack has risen to ten, though full identifications have not yet been released. The incident raises serious concerns about the safety of international seafarers and the security of maritime trade routes in the Black Sea amidst the ongoing conflict.
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