India summons Ukrainian ambassador after attack on vessel carrying Indian sailors
Photo: merchant vessel MV OMORFI (wikipedia.org)
Following the death of an Indian national aboard the merchant vessel MV OMORFI, New Delhi lodged an official diplomatic protest with the Ukrainian side, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.
According to the statement, Ukraine's Ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk, was summoned to the ministry.
The move followed an attack on the merchant vessel MV OMORFI, during which an Indian national was killed.
Indian officials said they conveyed their serious concern over the incident to the Ukrainian diplomat and strongly condemned attacks on commercial shipping.
New Delhi stressed that such actions threaten maritime safety, freedom of navigation, and international trade.
The Ukrainian ambassador was also instructed to convey India's official position on the incident to the Ukrainian authorities.
India's Ministry of External Affairs emphasized that attacks on merchant vessels that endanger the lives of civilian seafarers are "unacceptable" and must "be avoided."
Attack on MV OMORFI
In a separate statement, India's foreign ministry said that the merchant vessel MV OMORFI came under attack while transiting the Black Sea on July 18. According to New Delhi, the incident occurred in Russian territorial waters.
There were 10 crew members aboard the vessel, including three Indian nationals. One of them was killed, while the other two were unharmed, according to Indian officials.
On July 19, Russian forces attacked the merchant vessel Golden Leo as it was departing the port of Odesa.
The strike killed 10 people, including four Indian nationals, while another Indian citizen suffered serious injuries.
