Vessel carrying four Indian sailors attacked in Ukraine’s Odesa port, days after 4 others killed on Golden Lion | Today’s news
The Indian embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv said on Sunday (local time) that a merchant vessel carrying four Indian nationals had been targeted at the port of Odessa, with only two crew members confirmed safe as information on the other two was still awaited.
Here’s what we know about the Odessa port attack
The incident occurred on Saturday (local time) when the MV AGN Ragnar was hit in the port of Odesa, one of Ukraine’s important Black Sea ports, which has been the target of frequent attacks since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Merchant shipping in the Black Sea has been regularly affected despite efforts to keep maritime trade routes operational, news agency PTI reported.
The Indian mission said in a statement that it was closely monitoring the situation, adding: “The Embassy of India in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation following the incident involving MV AGN Ragnar, which was hit in the port of Odesa on July 25. There were four Indian nationals on board the vessel. According to the latest information, two are confirmed safe and information is awaited regarding the other two nationals who are in constant contact with rescue operations. The embassy is in constant search by the authorities.”
There was no immediate information on the source of the strike, the circumstances of the incident, or the total strength of the vessel’s crew. Additionally, the identities of the four Indian sailors and the nature of their duties on board were not immediately known.
Four Indians killed in Black Sea, MEA summons Russian official
The attack is the second in a week. Last week, four out of five Indian nationals were killed after the vessel MV Golden Leo was hit by a Russian missile strike in the Black Sea region as it left the port of Odessa, Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian authorities, Moscow fired three cruise missiles at the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship carrying crew members from India and Syria. The attack killed 10 people, including four Indians.
After the attack, India summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires Vladimir Ladanov. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement after the meeting, saying, “The Ministry expressed India’s grave concern and unequivocal condemnation of the attack on the commercial vessel MV Golden Leo on 19 July 2026, which resulted in the tragic loss of four Indian lives, and emphasized that such attacks undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime trade.”
The Russian official was further asked to convey to his authorities New Delhi’s strong concerns that the targeting of merchant shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian life was unacceptable and should be avoided.
India issues advisory for those accepting work on Black Sea vessels
Earlier on Sunday, the MEA issued an advisory to anyone considering taking up jobs on vessels plying the Black Sea amid a highly volatile situation. The MEA advised nationals to “exercise utmost caution” and assess security risks before accepting employment on vessels operating in or transiting the Black Sea.
The ministry added, “The security situation in and around the Black Sea and adjacent sea areas remains highly volatile due to the ongoing conflict. Commercial vessels operating in or transiting these waters face significant security risks, including missile attacks and drone attacks. Since April 2026, there has been an increase in the number of such incidents involving commercial vessels, which has also resulted in the tragic loss of five Indian lives.”
However, it remains to be seen how India will react to the second attack as the fate of the two sailors is still awaited.
