An Indian sailor was killed in a drone attack on a ship in the Black Sea last week, officials said on Friday, even as the LPG tanker Disha came under a missile attack near Iran, leaving the ship temporarily without the ability to maneuver.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the ship MV Omorfi was attacked while crossing the Black Sea, in Russian territorial waters, on July 18. Chief Officer Sagar Gupta, one of three Indian nationals out of the ten crew members, was killed in the attack, while the other two Indian crew members remained safe.
India on Friday condemned the attack on Omurvi Island, which flies the flag of the Marshall Islands, and reiterated its call to respect international obligations to ensure the safety and security of maritime navigation and the uninterrupted flow of global trade.
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The incident occurred a day before the Russian attack on the Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship MV Golden Leo in the Black Sea, killing 10 people, including four Indian sailors. The Foreign Ministry statement did not specify who attacked the Omurvi, although the Seafarers’ Union of India (FSUI) said on social media that the ship was targeted by a Ukrainian drone.
“India unequivocally condemns such attacks targeting commercial shipping and endangering the lives of innocent civilian crew members. It is of grave concern that freedom of navigation and international trade is facing increasing threats,” the statement said. The Indian Embassy in Russia has contacted the relevant authorities and is making efforts to provide all possible assistance to the family of the Indian sailor who was killed on board the ship ‘Omurvi’.
In a separate incident, the LPG tanker Disha was hit by an unidentified missile on Friday. The Mozambique-flagged tanker, which was carrying 28 Indian nationals among its 30 crew, was attacked near Iran. The missile hit the engine room, starting a fire and causing a temporary loss of maneuverability.
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The situation report prepared by the General Directorate of Maritime Administration stated that the engine room fire had been extinguished, the situation was under control, and the ship had docked. All crew members are safe. The capacity of Disha field is 78,488 cubic meters of liquefied gas.
The ship’s crew consists of 28 Indian nationals, a Sri Lankan captain and a Vietnamese chief officer.
“We received a message at 2.30 pm on Friday. There are no casualties to the crew. The ship is anchored. The owners are providing support and providing towing. We have asked the staff not to enter the engine room,” said KD Rao of Watercraft Marine Services, which recruited all the crew members.
The Maritime Administration said that six Indian ships are currently present in the Arabian Gulf, west of the Strait of Hormuz, with 125 Indian sailors on board.
It said 14 ships of Indian interest – including Indian-flagged ships and foreign-flagged ships bound for India – remain in the Persian Gulf (west of the Strait of Hormuz) and have been identified for evacuation. These include eight fertilizer tankers and six other vessels.
The report said that 3,985 seafarers had been evacuated by various shipping companies as of July 24. He added that incidents involving Indian-flagged vessels and 29 incidents involving foreign-flagged vessels carrying Indian crew were reported.
The total number of Indian sailors killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has risen to five. More than six Indian sailors have also been killed in Iranian and US attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned senior Iranian, Russian, and American diplomats to protest these attacks.
Earlier in the day, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal rejected a suggestion from the Russian side that the Golden Lion ship was carrying weapons when it was attacked. He said information received from the Directorate General of the Indian Maritime Administration showed that the ship Golden Leo loaded grains as cargo before leaving the port of Odessa on July 19.
“We reiterate once again that commercial shipping and seafarers should not be targeted under any circumstances,” he said, adding that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made this position clear at the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum meetings in the Philippines and also confirmed it with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The Black Sea and Yemeni waters have been added to the Indian shipping alert
The Directorate General of Maritime Administration has expanded its maritime security advisories beyond the Strait of Hormuz, warning Indian-flagged ships and foreign ships carrying Indian sailors to exercise extreme caution in the Black Sea and waters around Yemen following an escalation in attacks. The warnings cover the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern Red Sea and the Black Sea. htc