Four Indians killed, one injured in attack on cargo vessel off Odesa port in Ukraine: MEA

Smoke rises from a civilian ship on the Black Sea off the coast of Odesa on July 19. Pic/AFP

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday condemned the attack on a commercial cargo vessel departing from Ukraine's Odesa port. It confirmed that four Indian nationals were killed and one remains in a critical condition following the attack, reported the IANS.

According to the MEA, the attack took place on the evening of July 19 while the vessel named MV Golden Leo was leaving the Odesa port in Ukraine. The ship was carrying 17 crew members, including five Indian nationals, at the time of the incident.

In an official statement, the MEA said India's mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and providing all possible assistance to those affected, as per the IANS.

The ministry expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured Indian crew member a full and speedy recovery.

MEA condemns attack on commercial shipping

India strongly condemned the strike, saying attacks on commercial vessels and civilian crew members are unacceptable.

The MEA stated that targeting commercial shipping, endangering innocent civilian seafarers and disrupting freedom of navigation and international commerce is deplorable and should be avoided, according to the IANS.

Russian missile reportedly hit cargo vessel

According to reports, the Turkish-owned cargo vessel MV Golden Leo, sailing under the Guinea-Bissau flag, was struck by a Russian missile.

The Kyiv Post reported that the attack killed 10 people in total.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russian forces launched three Kh-59/Kh-69 cruise missiles, one of which struck the starboard side of the vessel, triggering a fire, reported the IANS.

Eight crew members were reportedly rescued and taken to hospital in Odesa, as per the news agency.

Russia says it targeted Ukrainian port infrastructure

Russia's Ministry of Defence said its armed forces continued carrying out strikes against Ukrainian ports and vessels allegedly operating in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In a statement posted on its official Telegram channel, the ministry said that anti-ship Oniks missiles, air-launched cruise missiles and loitering munitions were used to strike port infrastructure, including two bulk carriers near the Port of Odesa, the news agency reported.

(with IANS inputs)