India summoned a Russian diplomat over the death of four of its sailors as a result of an attack on a vessel off the coast of Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
India summoned a Russian diplomat, condemning the attack on the vessel MV Golden Leo, which resulted in the deaths of four Indian sailors. New Delhi emphasized the unacceptability of strikes on civilian shipping.
India summoned a senior Russian diplomat to express its "unequivocal condemnation" of the Russian attack on a merchant vessel off the coast of Ukraine, which killed 10 people, including four Indian crew members. This was reported by Hindustan Times, writes UNN.
Details
On Monday, India condemned the attack on a merchant vessel flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau.
Russia's chargé d'affaires, Vladimir Ladanov, was summoned to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in the presence of media representatives — television crews recorded his arrival on Tuesday morning. This was the first instance of Indian sailors being killed as a result of Russia's war against Ukraine. Ladanov was summoned because the Russian ambassador was outside New Delhi.
India expressed serious concern and unequivocally condemned the attack on the merchant vessel MV Golden Leo on July 19, 2026, which led to the tragic deaths of four Indian citizens
The Indian side emphasized to Ladanov that "such attacks undermine the safety, security, and stability of international maritime trade."
The Russian chargé d'affaires was asked to convey to the Russian authorities that India expresses "deep concern" over strikes on civilian shipping and the deaths of innocent people. The statement noted that such actions are unacceptable and must be stopped.
Addendum
On Monday, India condemned the Russian attack on a merchant vessel flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau in the Black Sea and once again called for an end to attacks on civilian ships during conflicts.
In recent weeks, more than six Indian sailors have also been killed as a result of attacks by Iran and the United States on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Consequently, New Delhi summoned Iranian and American diplomats to lodge official protests over the deaths of its citizens.
MV Golden Leo — a dry cargo ship — was attacked on Sunday evening while departing the port of Odesa. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the vessel was struck by Russian cruise missiles, which caused a fire. There were 17 crew members on board, including five Indian citizens.
Four Indian sailors were killed, and one was in the hospital in critical condition, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs reported on Monday. The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority stated that among the dead were nine crew members of the Golden Leo and a Ukrainian pilot from the port.
The Odesa region and Ukraine's last maritime corridor for exports have been under constant attack in recent weeks as Russia has intensified its offensive. These attacks included strikes on foreign cargo ships transporting goods along the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria to Turkey.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on Monday that Russia "does not care" whether Ukrainians or citizens of other countries die. He noted that this attack was not an isolated incident, as Russia also attacked another vessel flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda in the Black Sea, resulting in one death and three injuries.