New Delhi, July 21: A Russian attack on a commercial vessel departing from Ukraine’s Odesa port has resulted in the tragic deaths of four Indian nationals. Following the incident, India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Russian Chargé d’Affaires on Tuesday. One Indian citizen remains in critical condition due to injuries sustained in the attack.
According to the Ministry, the MV Golden Leo was targeted on the evening of July 19 while leaving Odesa port. At the time of the attack, the ship had 17 crew members onboard, including five Indian nationals.
The Ministry condemned the attack, stating, “As per current information, four Indian citizens have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalized in serious condition. Our mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to assist those affected. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wish for the swift and complete recovery of the injured Indian citizen.”
Furthermore, the statement emphasized, “India condemns such attacks and reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise obstructing the freedom of navigation and commerce, is deplorable and must be avoided.”
A report from the Kyiv Post indicated that a Russian missile struck the Turkish cargo ship Golden Leo, resulting in a total of ten fatalities.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the Russian military launched three KH-59/KH-69 cruise missiles, with one missile hitting the right side of the merchant vessel flying under the flag of Guinea-Bissau, igniting a fire. Eight sailors were rescued and taken to a hospital in Odesa.
On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry stated, “Throughout the day, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued attacks on Ukrainian ports and vessels operating for the benefit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU).”
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the attacks targeted port infrastructure using anti-ship Onyx missiles, air-launched cruise missiles, and loitering munitions.
The ministry mentioned that among the targets were two cargo ships anchored near Odesa port, which were alleged to be carrying military supplies.
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