MEA summons Russian diplomat over cargo ship attack that killed 4 Indians
New Delhi, July 21
The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday summoned the Russian Charge d'Affaires following the attack on a commercial vessel departing from Odesa port in Ukraine, in which four Indian nationals lost their lives, while one was critical.
According to the MEA, on the evening of July 19, the vessel MV Golden Leo was attacked while departing the port of Odesa. At the time of the incident, there were 17 crew members on board, including five Indian nationals.
Condemning the attack, the Ministry said, "As per information available, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalised in a critical condition. Our Mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to extend all possible assistance to those affected. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and wish the injured Indian national a speedy and full recovery."
"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," it added.
According to a report by the Kyiv Post, a Russian missile struck the Turkish-owned cargo vessel Golden Leo, killing 10 people in total.
The Ukraine Air Force said that three Kh-59/Kh-69 cruise missiles were launched by Russian forces and one missile struck the starboard side of the Golden Leo, the merchant vessel sailing under the Guinea-Bissau flag, igniting a fire. Eight sailors were rescued and taken to hospital in Odesa.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Sunday: "Throughout the day, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued carrying out strikes against Ukrainian ports and vessels operating in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU)."
It stated that anti-ship Oniks missiles, air-launched cruise missiles, and loitering munitions hit port infrastructure targets.
Among the targets, it listed: "Two bulk carriers carrying military cargo at anchorage off the Port of Odesa."
— IANS
Reader Comments
The MEA summoning the Russian diplomat is a good first step, but we need concrete action. Our government should demand compensation for the families and ensure safe passage for remaining Indian crew. War is terrible, but targeting civilian ships is unacceptable. 🇮🇳😢
Condolences to the families. But honestly, our government should have evacuated all Indian citizens from Ukraine and surrounding conflict zones months ago, not just students. This is a failure of foresight from MEA. We need a robust crisis response team.
Heartbreaking to hear this news. As an Indian, I feel so helpless watching our people caught in crossfires. The government should immediately hold talks with both Russia and Ukraine to ensure safety of Indian sailors. Every life counts. 😔
This is the price of neutrality. India has been walking a tightrope between West and Russia, but our citizens are paying with lives. We need to take a clearer stance. Either demand accountability from Russia or completely pull out our citizens from the region.
As a mother, my heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones. These were hardworking sailors providing for their families back home. The international community must hold Russia accountable for this blatant violation of maritime law. Praying for the injured crew member. 🙏
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