India on Tuesday condemned the attack on the commercial vessel MV Royad Mammadov in the Black Sea, in which two foreign seafarers were killed and several crew members, including Indian nationals, were injured.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the injured crew members were rescued by Romanian authorities and were receiving medical treatment. All three Indian nationals on board the vessel are safe, the ministry said, while thanking Romanian authorities for their swift response.
“India views these attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers with grave concern,” the MEA said in a statement.
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The ministry warned that attacks targeting commercial vessels in international waterways are posing a serious threat to global trade and the welfare of people dependent on maritime commerce. India again called for dialogue and diplomacy to bring an end to ongoing conflicts.
The Indian Embassy in Romania said one of the three Indian crew members was injured and was being treated at Constanța County Hospital. Indian Ambassador to Romania Manoj Mohapatra spoke to the three crew members and the hospital's chief physician, who confirmed that they were in good health and receiving the required medical care.
“We have spoken to them. One of them has been injured and is receiving medical attention. We are in close touch with the hospital authorities,” the embassy said, adding that it was extending all possible assistance to the Indian crew.
The vessel, reportedly owned by a Turkish company, was attacked while sailing in the Black Sea outside Romania's territorial waters.
Romanian authorities said their Coast Guard was alerted to a fire aboard the vessel at around 11 am local time after it entered the country's exclusive economic zone, about 30 nautical miles (55 km) south of Sfantul Gheorghe in Tulcea County.
Romania's Naval Authority identified the ship as MV Royad Mammadov, a general cargo vessel flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
According to MarineTraffic, the vessel had departed Ukraine's Izmail port and was headed towards Italy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said two Russian drones had struck the civilian vessel while it was carrying corn in neutral waters.
He said Azerbaijani and Indian citizens were on board and that the ship's captain had been killed. Eleven crew members were rescued, including one injured person, he said.
Romanian authorities have not independently confirmed the cause of the fire, while local media reported that the vessel may have been hit by a drone.
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The latest incident comes amid heightened security risks for commercial shipping in the Black Sea following the Russia-Ukraine war.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also previously condemned attacks on commercial shipping, saying Indian and foreign seafarers have lost their lives across maritime routes stretching from the Gulf and Red Sea to the Black Sea.
In September, India and Liberia launched a 25-nation Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers at the UN General Assembly, aimed at strengthening protection for merchant crews and commercial shipping against targeted attacks.
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