Four Indian seafarers were killed and another critically injured after the Guinea-Bissau-flagged merchant vessel MV Golden Leo came under a missile attack while departing Ukraine’s Port of Odesa, marking the first reported fatalities of Indian seafarers since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the vessel was attacked on the evening of July 19 while navigating Ukraine’s maritime corridor in the Black Sea. The ship had a crew of 17, including five Indian nationals.
“As per information available, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalised in a critical condition,” the MEA said in a statement.
India expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured seafarer a speedy recovery. The MEA added that the Indian Embassy in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and extending all possible assistance to those affected.
In a strong statement, India condemned attacks on commercial shipping, saying, “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.”
Ukrainian authorities said the MV Golden Leo was struck by Russian cruise missiles while sailing through Ukraine’s maritime corridor. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the vessel as a civilian merchant ship with an international crew operating on a route vital to global food security.
“A civilian ship. An international crew. A route serving global food security. Putin saw another target,” Sybiha said on social media, alleging that Russia was deliberately targeting freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
He further claimed that the attack followed another strike on a foreign merchant vessel flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda a day earlier, in which one crew member was killed and three others were injured.
Sybiha urged the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to deploy an international monitoring mission to Ukraine’s ports to document attacks on commercial shipping and support future accountability efforts.
Western media reports indicated that the overall death toll from the attack has risen to 10, though the identities of all victims have not been officially confirmed.
The incident underscores the growing risks faced by merchant shipping operating in the Black Sea amid the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict, raising fresh concerns over the safety of international seafarers and the security of global maritime trade routes.
