Indian Seafarer Killed In Missile Strike On Ship Near Ukraine’s Odesa Port Returns Home After 34 Days

The remains of 22-year-old Indian sailor Abhishek Nishad, who was killed in a missile strike on a cargo ship near Ukraine’s Odesa port, reached India on Sunday, 34 days after the attack.

Nishad, from Karmel village in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, was working as a crew member on the cargo vessel Golden Leo. He was among four Indian crew members confirmed killed in the July 19 strike, according to Pratigya Tripathi, a representative of the shipping company.

Nishad’s remains, along with those of Karnataka’s Akhil Joyan, were brought to India through Moldova.

After arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, Nishad’s relatives left for Karmel at around 8 a.m., Tripathi said. The shipping company arranged an ambulance to take the body from Delhi to the village, where it was expected to arrive late on Sunday.

Nishad travelled from Varanasi to Mumbai on July 10 and boarded the Golden Leo the following day after travelling through Turkiye, Tripathi said.

Bulk carrier Golden Leo (Guinea-Bissau flagged, Mumbai-owned, carrying corn from Odesa) capsized in shallow water off the Ukrainian coast today, a week after being hit by three Russian cruise missiles on 19 July.

Casualties: 10 killed (9 crew + Ukrainian pilot), including 4… pic.twitter.com/aP8yVQu72n

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 26, 2026

The vessel was carrying cargo to Makkah when it was hit by a missile near Odesa port on July 19.

Nishad’s body was badly damaged in the attack and could not be identified through normal procedures because the victims were of similar age, Tripathi said. DNA tests were later carried out and confirmed his identity after the samples matched.

His remains were taken from Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv to Chisinau International Airport in Moldova before being flown to New Delhi.

Tripathi said the delay in bringing Nishad’s remains home had been brought to the attention of Union Minister of State Kamlesh Paswan by the Ministry of External Affairs.

After the DNA testing and other formalities were completed, Nishad’s remains were finally returned to India, 34 days after his death, his family members said.

References: Telegraph India, The Print