Kyiv/New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh)— At least one person was killed and eleven others were rescued after a Russian drone attack struck a Turkish-owned commercial cargo ship operating in neutral waters in the Black Sea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. The civilian vessel, which was transporting corn, had crew members from India and Azerbaijan onboard.
President Zelensky announced the incident in a statement on social media platform X, detailing that the cargo carrier was hit by two Russian drones, triggering an onboard blaze.
“Azerbaijani and Indian citizens were on board. As of now, unfortunately, we know that the ship’s captain was killed. My condolences. The fate of one other person is still being established,” Zelensky stated. He added that 11 crew members had been successfully pulled from the vessel, with one individual sustaining injuries.
Calling the assault a “horrific strike,” Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine has continuously advanced proposals to de-escalate hostilities and safeguard freedom of navigation across the Black Sea maritime corridor. “Pressure is needed to restore global food security. And everyone who is genuinely interested in this must help,” he urged.
The incident marks another escalation in the Black Sea, a vital global agricultural transit corridor that continues to witness elevated risks, military interdictions, and infrastructure attacks amid the protracted war between Russia and Ukraine.
The maritime strike comes immediately after another incident affecting Indian-linked interests in Ukraine. On Sunday, a 52-year-old employee was killed when a Russian strike damaged an Indian-owned pharmaceutical warehouse located in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region.
The escalating developments also coincide with heightened diplomatic efforts by New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar remarked on Sunday that India has stepped beyond passive advocacy to actively engage both Moscow and Kyiv in bilateral dialogues to help broker a peaceful resolution. His observations followed recent statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared constructive ideas toward finding a mutually viable path out of the conflict.
