India summons Russian diplomat over death of four Indian seafarers in vessel attack off Ukraine coast
India on Tuesday summoned the seniormost Russian diplomat to convey an “unequivocal condemnation” of a Russian attack on a merchant vessel off the coast of Ukraine that killed 10 people, including four Indian crew members.
Russian chargé d’affaires Vladimir Ladanov was summoned to the external affairs ministry in full public glare, with TV crews filming his arrival on Tuesday morning. This was the first instance of Indian seafarers being killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ladanov was summoned as the Russian ambassador was away from New Delhi.
The ministry “conveyed India’s grave concerns 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”, an official readout said.
The Indian side emphasised to Ladanov that “such attacks undermine the safety, security, and stability of international maritime commerce”, the readout said.
The Russian chargé d’affaires was “requested to convey India’s strong concerns to his authorities that the targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives are unacceptable and must be avoided”.
On Monday, India condemned the Russian attack on the Guinea Bissau-flagged merchant vessel in the Black Sea and reiterated its call for an end to the targeting of commercial shipping during conflicts.
More than half a dozen Indian seafarers have also been killed in Iranian and US attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, prompting New Delhi to summon Iranian and American diplomats for strong protests against the deaths.
The MV Golden Leo, a general cargo ship, was attacked on Sunday evening while departing the port of Odesa. The Ukrainian Air Force said the Golden Leo was hit by Russian cruise missiles that caused a fire. There were 17 crew members on board, including five Indian nationals.
Four Indian crew members were killed, and one was “hospitalised in a critical condition”, the external affairs ministry said on Monday. Ukraine’s seaport authority said nine crew members of the Golden Leo and an Ukrainian pilot from the port were among the dead.
The Odesa region and Ukraine’s last remaining maritime export corridor have come under sustained attack in recent weeks as Russia has stepped up its offensive. This has included Russian attacks on foreign-flagged cargo ships that carry cargo along the Romanian and Bulgarian coast to Turkey.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Monday that Russia “does not care” whether it kills Ukrainians or citizens of any other country. He contended the attack was not an isolated incident, as Russia had attacked another Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel in the Black Sea and killed one person and injured three others.
