Merchant Ship With Four Indians Struck in Odessa
Two crew members are safe, while search operations continue for two others.
New Delhi: A merchant vessel carrying four Indian seafarers came under attack at Ukraine's Port of Odesa on Saturday, with two crew members confirmed safe while information on the other two is still awaited, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv said on Sunday.
The vessel, MV AGN Ragnar, was struck at Odesa, one of Ukraine's key Black Sea ports that has frequently come under missile and drone attacks since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022. The embassy said it was closely monitoring the situation and remained in constant touch with the concerned authorities. Search and rescue operations are under way to ascertain the status of the two unaccounted-for Indian crew members and provide all possible assistance.
The incident marks the third attack on a merchant vessel in the past week. In the previous two attacks, five Indian seafarers were killed.
Issuing an advisory on Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the security situation in the Black Sea and adjoining maritime areas remains highly volatile, with an increase in attacks on commercial vessels since April. It advised Indian nationals considering employment on ships operating in or transiting the conflict-affected region to carefully assess the prevailing security risks before accepting such assignments.
The embassy did not disclose the identities or roles of the four Indian nationals on board. The cause of the strike and the vessel's total crew strength were not immediately known.