India Summons Ukraine Envoy Over Black Sea Attacks on Merchant Ships

• India summons Ukraine’s Ambassador over attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
• MEA condemns strikes after an Indian seafarer was killed aboard MV OMORFI.
• Supreme priority placed on safety of Indian seafarers and freedom of maritime navigation.
• Ukraine expresses condolences and attributes maritime security threats to the ongoing conflict.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 27th July: India on Monday summoned Ukraine’s Ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk, and conveyed its serious concern over recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea that have claimed the lives of Indian seafarers, including the death of an Indian national aboard merchant vessel MV OMORFI.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Ukrainian envoy was called to South Block following the attack on MV OMORFI and India’s strong concerns were formally conveyed.

“The Ministry conveyed its serious concern over the incident and condemned such attacks on commercial shipping in the strongest terms, underscoring their adverse impact on the safety of maritime navigation, freedom of navigation, and international commerce,” the MEA said.

India also urged the Ukrainian government to ensure that commercial vessels carrying civilian crews are not targeted.

“The Ambassador was requested to convey to the Ukrainian authorities India’s strong concerns over the targeting of commercial vessels and reiterated that such actions, which endanger the lives of innocent civilian seafarers, are unacceptable and must be avoided,” the ministry added.

The diplomatic démarche follows the July 18 attack on MV OMORFI, in which Chief Officer Sagar Gupta, an Indian seafarer, lost his life.

Responding to India’s concerns, the Embassy of Ukraine in New Delhi expressed condolences to the families of the deceased Indian sailors and said Ukraine had consistently warned international partners about the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea.

The Embassy said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had already conveyed condolences to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and maintained that threats to civilian shipping stem from the ongoing conflict in the region. It added that warnings had also been issued through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regarding risks to maritime navigation.

The development comes even as another merchant vessel, MV AGN Ragnar, carrying four Indian nationals, was struck at the Port of Odesa on July 25. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine said two crew members had been confirmed safe, while information regarding the remaining two was still awaited. Search and rescue operations are underway.

Earlier this month, four Indian nationals were killed and another critically injured in an attack on merchant vessel MV Golden Leo while it was departing from the Port of Odesa, highlighting the increasing risks faced by Indian seafarers operating in the conflict zone.

In view of the escalating attacks, the MEA has issued a detailed advisory urging Indian nationals considering employment on commercial vessels operating in or transiting the Black Sea region to carefully assess the prevailing security situation before accepting assignments.

The ministry noted that the security environment in the Black Sea remains highly volatile and said there has been a marked increase in attacks on commercial vessels since April 2026, resulting in the deaths of five Indian seafarers. It advised prospective crew members to obtain complete information on shipping routes, security arrangements, insurance coverage and emergency response mechanisms before joining vessels operating in conflict-affected waters.

The MEA also urged Indian seafarers to remain in regular contact with their families and follow security advisories issued by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) and other government authorities.

India’s latest diplomatic intervention underscores its growing concern over the safety of Indian seafarers and reiterates New Delhi’s position that attacks on civilian merchant shipping are unacceptable and pose a serious threat to international maritime navigation and commerce.