India, Russia Discuss Seafarers’ Deaths

New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday raised concerns over the deaths of four Indian seafarers in a strike on a merchant vessel near Ukraine during a meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Manila.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of an event in the Philippines capital, included a review of bilateral ties and discussions on regional and global issues.

“An in-depth review of our bilateral relations with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia. Reiterated our strong concern regarding the safety of Indian seafarers in the region. Discussed various aspects of our partnership, including trade & investment, energy & connectivity, science & technology, and mobility. Also exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict and the Gulf situation,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.

The issue relates to a strike on the merchant vessel MV Golden Leo near the Ukrainian port of Odesa earlier this week, in which four Indian nationals were killed and another was critically injured.

India had on Tuesday summoned Russian Charged Affaires Vladimir Ladanov and conveyed “India's grave concerns and unequivocal condemnation of the attack on the commercial vessel MV Golden Leo which resulted in the tragic loss of four Indian lives”.

It also said, “such attacks undermine the safety, security, and stability of international maritime commerce” and requested that the concerns be conveyed to Russian authorities.

New Delhi further stated that “targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives are unacceptable and must be avoided”.

In an earlier statement, the government said the vessel was attacked on July 19 while departing Odesa with 17 crew members on board, including five Indians.

“On the evening of 19 July 2026, the vessel MV GOLDEN LEO was attacked while departing the port of Odesa. At the time of the incident, there were 17 crew members on board, including five Indian nationals. As per information available, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalised in a critical condition. Our Mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to extend all possible assistance to those affected. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and wish the injured Indian national a speedy and full recovery,” it said.

“India condemns such attacks and reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, is deplorable and should be avoided,” the statement added.

The incident comes amid intensified hostilities between Russia and Ukraine in recent weeks.