The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday summoned Ukraine’s Ambassador to India, Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk, following an attack on the merchant vessel MV OMORFI near the Ukrainian port of Odesa that resulted in the death of an Indian seafarer.
In an official statement, the MEA expressed serious concern over the attack and strongly condemned assaults on commercial shipping, emphasizing their impact on the safety of maritime navigation, freedom of navigation, and global trade.
The ministry urged the Ukrainian envoy to convey India’s strong concerns to the Ukrainian authorities, stating that attacks on commercial vessels that endanger innocent civilian seafarers are unacceptable and must be prevented.
According to the Indian Embassy in Ukraine, four Indian nationals were on board MV OMORFI at the time of the incident. Two crew members are reported safe, while information regarding the remaining two is still awaited.
The latest attack comes just days after another fatal incident in the Black Sea. On July 19, four Indian nationals lost their lives and another was critically injured when the merchant vessel MV Golden Leo was attacked while departing from Odesa.
Responding to India’s concerns, the Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, conveying condolences over the death of the Indian seafarer.
The embassy expressed “profound sympathy” to the bereaved families and attributed the tragedy to the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea. It also said Ukraine hopes that the foreign ministers of both countries will hold talks soon to discuss the evolving security situation and its impact on commercial shipping in the region.
The repeated attacks on merchant vessels operating in the Black Sea have renewed concerns over the safety of civilian seafarers and the security of international maritime trade routes.
