MEA summons Ukrainian envoy, expresses ‘grave concern’ over attacks on merchant vessels in Black Sea

Ukrainian Ambassador to India, Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk, leaves the Ministry of External Affairs Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan in New Delhi on July 27, 2026. He was summoned by the MEA following the attack on the vessel MV OMORFI in which an Indian sailor was killed. | Photo credit: ANI

The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday (July 27, 2026) summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk, expressing “serious concern” over the July 18 attack on a ship that led to the death of an Indian sailor. In response, the Embassy of Ukraine said that Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had sent a letter of condolence to Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar over the incident.

He added that an “immediate response to any pre-emptive warning” regarding the situation in the Black Sea and nearby regions can help minimize the security risks of Russian military operations.

“The ministry expressed its grave concern over the incident and condemned in the strongest possible terms such attacks on commercial shipping, highlighting their adverse impact on maritime security, freedom of navigation and international trade,” the MEA said in a press release.

“The Ambassador has been requested to convey to the Ukrainian authorities India’s strong concerns regarding the targeting of commercial vessels and to reiterate that such actions which endanger the lives of innocent civilian seafarers are unacceptable and must be avoided,” the MEA said of the attack on the MV OMORFI, which it described as a “commercial vessel”.

It is the first time that Ukraine’s ambassador has been summoned to the MEA since attacks on foreign-flagged ships intensified in the Black Sea and nearby maritime areas. The ministry had earlier summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Russian embassy after MV Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship, was hit by projectiles on July 19, killing 10 sailors, including four Indian nationals. Mr Jaishankar met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the 21st East Asia Summit in Manila on July 22, where he expressed “great concern” over the safety of Indian citizens on the naval front of the Russia-Ukraine war.

On July 24, the MEA confirmed the death of an Indian national in the attack on the MV OMORFI, saying the vessel had a crew of 10 with at least three Indian sailors in the team and that the ship was hit in Russian territorial waters. However, his statement stopped short of describing which of the warring parties had hit the ship. As details of the July 18 attack took several days to be confirmed, official sources said that information on attacks on foreign-flagged ships can sometimes take time to be confirmed and verified.

Sources further said that India has about 3.20 lakh people employed as seafarers worldwide, with the vast majority working on foreign-flagged ships. They also highlighted the latest advisory, issued on July 26, which urged Indian seafarers to exercise caution when accepting assignments on merchant ships.

‘Consistent Warning’

In a statement issued after the Ukrainian ambassador was summoned, the Embassy of Ukraine said that “throughout the war, Ukraine consistently warned its international partners, including senior Indian officials, of the growing threats to civilian shipping arising from Russian actions in the Black Sea.” The statement said Ukraine keeps its international partners informed of “measures it is taking to prevent the delivery of military cargo and disrupt logistical routes used to maintain Russia’s offensive war against Ukraine.” The embassy said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had sent a letter of condolence to Mr Jaishankar regarding the July 18 incident.

“We hope that, following the relevant proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, a conversation between the foreign ministers of our two countries will take place in the near future to discuss in detail the current security situation in the Black Sea region,” the Embassy of Ukraine said in a statement.

Published – 27 Jul 2026 17:09 IST