New Delhi: India on Tuesday summoned a senior Russian diplomat to lodge a formal protest over a Russian missile strike on a merchant vessel off Ukraine’s Black Sea coast that killed four Indian seafarers. The attack on the cargo ship was one the deadliest single incidents involving Indian civilians in the Russia-Ukraine war, as RNA Media reported on Monday.
The diplomatic demarche came a day after New Delhi strongly condemned the attack on the Guinea-Bissau-flagged bulk carrier MV Golden Leo, which was struck while departing Ukraine’s port of Odesa on the evening of Sunday. The vessel, carrying a cargo of Ukrainian corn, had a multinational crew comprising Indian and Syrian nationals.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), four Indian nationals were killed in the attack while another Indian sailor remains in hospital in critical condition. The ship had 17 crew members on board, including five Indians. Ukrainian authorities said the vessel was hit by three Russian cruise missiles shortly after leaving port.
People familiar with the matter said India summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in New Delhi on Tuesday and conveyed its strong protest over the deaths of the Indian nationals, while seeking accountability over the attack. The move is among New Delhi’s strongest diplomatic responses to an incident involving Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
In a statement issued late Monday, the MEA condemned the strike in unusually direct language.
“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 ministry said.
The statement added that the Indian Mission in Ukraine was “closely monitoring the situation” and making every effort to assist those affected. It also conveyed the government’s “deepest condolences” to the families of the deceased and wished the injured Indian sailor a “speedy and full recovery”. The statement was issued in New Delhi by the MEA.
Ukraine accused Russia of carrying out the strike. The Ukrainian navy said in a post on Telegram that the Golden Leo was struck by three cruise missiles fired by Russian forces after the vessel sailed from Odesa. The attack caused extensive damage and a fire aboard the ship.
Moscow had not publicly responded to India’s protest or commented on the specific allegations surrounding the attack at the time of writing.
The strike has heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the north-western Black Sea, where maritime traffic has continued despite the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye in 2022. Ukraine has since established an alternative maritime corridor to export agricultural commodities, but merchant vessels remain exposed to missile and drone attacks as the conflict intensifies.
The Golden Leo was carrying a consignment of Ukrainian corn, one of the country’s principal agricultural exports. Grain shipments from Odesa and neighbouring Black Sea ports remain vital to global food supplies, particularly for markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
The deaths also underscore the risks faced by Indian merchant seafarers operating in conflict zones.
India is among the world’s largest suppliers of merchant navy personnel, with tens of thousands of Indian seafarers serving aboard internationally flagged commercial vessels. Although the Directorate General of Shipping has repeatedly advised shipping companies and Indian seafarers to exercise extreme caution while operating in high-risk maritime areas linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, commercial vessels continue to transit the Black Sea under evolving security arrangements.
The latest tragedy follows earlier incidents involving Indian nationals caught in the Ukraine conflict. Several Indians recruited into the Russian military have been killed during the war, prompting New Delhi to press Moscow to halt such recruitment and facilitate the return of Indian citizens serving with Russian forces.
Unlike those cases, however, the victims aboard the Golden Leo were civilian merchant sailors engaged in commercial shipping.
The attack is also likely to add another layer of complexity to India’s carefully balanced diplomatic approach towards the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Since the war began, New Delhi has maintained close strategic ties with Moscow while simultaneously expanding engagement with Kyiv and consistently advocating dialogue, diplomacy and respect for international law.
India has repeatedly emphasized the importance of protecting civilian lives and maintaining freedom of navigation. Tuesday’s protest reflects that position while signalling New Delhi’s concern over the growing dangers faced by Indian nationals working aboard merchant vessels in conflict-affected waters.
The identities of the deceased Indian sailors have not yet been officially released pending notification of their families. Indian diplomatic missions are coordinating with Ukrainian authorities, shipping representatives and local agencies regarding medical assistance for the injured crew member, documentation and the repatriation of the bodies.