Four Indian sailors died and one was critically injured after an attack on the merchant vessel MV Golden Leo near the Ukrainian port of Odesa on July 19.
India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the incident on July 20. The statement noted that the vessel had 17 crew members, including five Indian nationals, when it was struck while leaving the port.
Ukraine's Acting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attributed the attack to Russia. He added that a Ukrainian maritime pilot was also killed and that Russia had struck another merchant vessel the previous day.
The MEA described attacks on commercial shipping as deplorable and a violation of freedom of navigation. This marks the first reported deaths of Indian seafarers in the Russia-Ukraine conflict that began in February 2022.
