July 21, 2026
NEW DELHI – Four Indians were killed and one was critically injured after the vessel – MV Golden Leo – was attacked near the port of Odesa in Ukraine, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday.
The vessel came under attack on the evening of July 19 when it was departing the Ukrainian port with 17 crew members, including five Indians.
“On the evening of July 19, 2026, the vessel MV Golden Leo was attacked while departing the port of Odesa. At the time of the incident, there were 17 crew members on board, including five Indian nationals. As per information available, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalized in a critical condition,” the MEA said.
According to the Ministry, the Indian Mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and 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.
India condemned the attack, reiterating that targeting commercial vessels and endangering civilian lives is deplorable.
“India condemns such attacks and reiterates 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 MEA added.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship was allegedly hit by Russian cruise missiles, triggering a fire on deck.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the attack has risen to 10.