New Delhi: India on Monday summoned Ukraine’s Ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk, and lodged a strong diplomatic protest over the attack on merchant vessel MV OMORFI, in which an Indian seafarer was killed. The Centre expressed serious concern over the targeting of commercial shipping, warning that such incidents pose a grave threat to maritime safety and global trade.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Ukrainian envoy was asked to convey New Delhi’s concerns to the Ukrainian authorities regarding the attack on the commercial vessel in the Black Sea.
“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 MEA said in a statement.
India also condemned attacks on commercial shipping “in the strongest terms,” stating that such incidents adversely affect maritime navigation, freedom of navigation and international commerce.
The diplomatic move comes three days after India confirmed the death of an Indian crew member aboard MV OMORFI, which was attacked on July 18 while transiting the Black Sea. The vessel was carrying 10 crew members, including three Indian nationals. While one Indian sailor lost his life, the other two escaped unharmed.
This is the second time within a week that New Delhi has summoned a diplomat from a country involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict over attacks on merchant vessels carrying Indian nationals.
On July 21, India summoned a senior Russian diplomat after four Indian crew members were killed in a missile strike on the bulk carrier MV Golden Leo while it was departing Ukraine’s Odesa port.
Following that incident, the Indian government described the attack as “deplorable,” demanded accountability and reiterated the need to ensure the safety of civilian seafarers and protect commercial shipping.
With two deadly incidents involving Indian nationals in less than a week, India has strengthened its diplomatic response, maintaining that attacks on merchant vessels and innocent civilian crew members are unacceptable regardless of the circumstances.
The back-to-back attacks have heightened concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the Black Sea conflict zone, where the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continues to threaten commercial shipping and disrupt international maritime trade.
