4 Indian Seafarers Killed During Attack On Cargo Ship Leaving Ukraine’s Odesa Port

Four Indian nationals were killed and another was critically injured after the merchant vessel MV Golden Leo came under attack while leaving Ukraine’s port of Odesa on July 19.

The Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel had 17 crew members on board, including five Indians, when it was attacked shortly after departing Odesa.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), four Indian nationals were killed in the attack, while another was hospitalised in a critical condition.

The ministry said India’s mission in Ukraine was closely monitoring the situation and was making every effort to provide assistance to those affected.

It also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured Indian crew member a speedy recovery.

India strongly condemned the attack, saying that targeting commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew members or disrupting freedom of navigation and commerce was deplorable and should be avoided.

The MEA did not attribute responsibility for the attack. Ukraine, however, blamed Russia.

Ukrainian officials said the Golden Leo, carrying a cargo of corn, was hit by three Russian cruise missiles after leaving Odesa on Sunday evening, causing a fire on board.

According to the Ukrainian navy, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged bulk carrier was crewed by seafarers from India and Syria and was sailing out of the combat zone with a grain cargo when it was struck.

The navy said the missiles hit the starboard side of the vessel’s superstructure, starting a fire.

Ukraine’s navy said the vessel was an unarmed civilian merchant ship flying a foreign flag. It said naval units and the Maritime Search and Rescue Service were deployed to assist after the attack.

Ukraine’s seaports authority said search and rescue operations continued through the night. It said nine crew members and one maritime pilot were killed, while eight of the 17 people on board were rescued.

In a separate update, the Ukrainian navy said eight crew members had been taken to a hospital in Odesa by 10:30 p.m. local time on Sunday. It added that search operations were continuing, the vessel’s condition was being assessed and the fate of five crew members remained unknown at that stage.

According to LSEG shipping data, MV Golden Leo is owned by Mumbai-based Ocean Grace Shipping Ltd. Another report identified Friends Shipping Co SA as the vessel’s manager.

Russia and Ukraine have stepped up military operations in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, increasing risks for commercial shipping and grain exports.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Black Sea became one of the main areas of the conflict. International agreements briefly allowed Ukrainian grain exports to resume, but renewed attacks on ports and cargo vessels have again disrupted shipping.

Ukraine has targeted Russian energy infrastructure and oil tankers, while Russia has increased missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian ports, fuel facilities and cargo vessels.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had struck fuel storage facilities at the port of Odesa overnight, according to Interfax.

The fighting has also affected grain exports. Ukraine accounts for about 6% of global wheat exports and around 11% of global corn exports.

Traders and analysts said repeated Russian missile and drone attacks have reduced Ukraine’s Black Sea grain export capacity by nearly one-third.

The conflict has also affected Russian grain exports. Reuters reported that sources said Ukrainian attacks have forced Russia to restrict shipping through the Sea of Azov, a route that normally handles about a quarter of Russia’s grain exports.

Ukraine’s governor for the Odesa region said Russian strikes had killed 28 people there so far this month.

Separately, a Ukrainian drone strike on a bus in Russia’s Belgorod region killed five people, including a child, on Monday, while Russian strikes on several Ukrainian cities left at least eight people dead as both sides intensified attacks.

References: NDTV, TOI