New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): India has strongly condemned ongoing assaults on commercial vessels after another Indian sailor was killed in a missile strike targeting a merchant ship in the Black Sea. The Ministry of External Affairs reported that the commercial vessel MV OMORFI was attacked on July 18 while transiting through Russian territorial waters with ten crew members on board, including three Indian nationals. While two Indian crew members were confirmed safe, one tragically lost his life, prompting Indian diplomatic officials in Russia to establish contact with local authorities and extend support to the victim’s family.
The latest incident marks the second fatal attack on Indian maritime personnel in the region within a week. Days prior, four Indian seafarers were killed and another was critically injured aboard the bulk carrier MV Golden Leo during a strike near Ukraine’s Odesa port. That attack prompted New Delhi to summon a senior Russian diplomat and lodge a formal protest, describing the targeting of civilian crew members as deplorable and demanding strict accountability for maritime safety violations in the conflict zone.
Reiterating its stance on international waters, India called on all involved parties to respect international law, protect civilian lives, and guarantee freedom of navigation. Official statements highlighted that rising threats to commercial shipping endanger global trade routes and place innocent seafarers at severe risk as hostilities in the Black Sea persist.
