4 Indians killed, one critically injured in cargo vessel attack in Ukraine
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New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday condemned the attack on a commercial cargo vessel departing from Ukraine's Odesa port, in which four Indian nationals were killed and another was critically injured.
According to the MEA, the vessel MV Golden Leo came under attack on the evening of July 19 while leaving the port of Odesa. There were 17 crew members on board at the time, including five Indian nationals.
"As per information available, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalised in a critical condition. Our Mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to extend all possible assistance to those affected. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and wish the injured Indian national a speedy and full recovery," the MEA said in a statement.
Condemning the attack, the ministry said India strongly opposes attacks on commercial shipping and stressed that targeting civilian crew members or disrupting freedom of navigation and commerce is deplorable and must be avoided.
According to the Kyiv Post, a Russian missile struck the Turkish-owned cargo vessel Golden Leo, killing 10 people in total.
The Ukraine Air Force said Russian forces launched three Kh-59/Kh-69 cruise missiles, one of which hit the starboard side of the Golden Leo, a merchant vessel sailing under the Guinea-Bissau flag, triggering a fire.
The Kyiv Post reported that eight sailors were rescued and taken to a hospital in Odesa.
Meanwhile, Russia's Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that its armed forces continued strikes against Ukrainian ports and vessels allegedly operating in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
In a statement posted on its official Telegram channel, the ministry said anti-ship Oniks missiles, air-launched cruise missiles and loitering munitions struck port infrastructure targets, including two bulk carriers carrying military cargo anchored off the Port of Odesa.
With IANS inputs