India condemned the attack on the vessel MV GOLDEN LEO while departing the port of Odesa in Ukraine. The External Affairs Ministry, in a statement, said four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalised in a critical condition. The Ministry said that at the time of the incident, there were 17 crew members on board, including 5 Indian nationals, as per information available.
The Ministry has reiterated that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce is deplorable and should be avoided. The Ministry said that the Indian Mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to extend all possible assistance to those affected. The Government of India extended deepest condolences to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and wished them speedy and full recovery.
