A merchant ship carrying four Indian nationals was attacked in the Ukrainian port of Odessa on Sunday. According to an official statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kiev, the safety of two crew members has been confirmed, while information about the other two is still awaited.
According to the embassy statement, the incident occurred on Saturday when the MV AGN Ragnar was bombed in the port of Odessa, one of Ukraine’s main Black Sea ports that has been repeatedly attacked since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The Indian mission said in a statement that it is closely monitoring the situation.
This incident also comes days after four Indian sailors were killed in a Russian raid on the port of Odessa. Following this attack, India also summoned Russia’s top diplomat and lodged a strong protest.
India issues advisory
Confirmation of this attack also comes after India issued a warning to citizens working on board ships in the Black Sea.
“Commercial vessels operating in or transiting these waters face significant security risks, including missile and drone attacks,” the warning said. A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said there has been an increase in such attacks on merchant ships since April, resulting in the deaths of five Indians.
“Seafarers who choose to work in the area should exercise extreme caution and take other precautions, including obtaining comprehensive information from employers, employment agencies and ship operators regarding the vessel’s route, ports of call, security arrangements, insurance coverage and emergency response procedures,” the advisory added.
Indian seafarers who require consular assistance can contact Indian embassies or consulates in the region. Emergency contact numbers are –
Embassy of India, Russia: +7 9652773414
Embassy of India, Ukraine: +38 0933559958.
