India has condemned a series of attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea that left Indian sailors caught in the crossfire of the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking in New Delhi on Wednesday, October 7, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the strikes threaten global shipping and "endanger the lives of our seafaring community", while confirming that Indian crew on the affected vessels had been rescued.
The statement came barely a day after New Delhi raised alarm over two other incidents, one in the Black Sea and another in the Strait of Hormuz, in which Indian nationals were injured. Together, they show how exposed India's huge seafaring workforce has become to conflicts far from home.
Which ships were hit
In its written statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) named three vessels attacked in the Black Sea. Earlier in the week, it had also spoken about a fourth, the MV Royad Mammadov.
| Vessel | Flag | Indian crew | Status as per MEA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aframax Rio (oil tanker) | Liberia | 23 – entire crew Indian | All rescued |
| MV Able | Palau | 7 of 18 crew | All rescued; one Indian injured, evacuated to Varna, Bulgaria |
| Alfa Watan | Togo | Not specified | Attacked on October 6 |
| MV Royad Mammadov | Not specified | 3 | Safe; injured crew treated with help from Romanian authorities |
The MV Able was reportedly hit in a drone strike. In the Royad Mammadov incident, two foreign seafarers lost their lives, according to reports, while the three Indians on board survived. India thanked Romania and Bulgaria for their quick help in evacuating and treating the injured.
What India said
"We condemn such attacks that threaten commercial shipping and endanger the lives of our seafaring community," Jaiswal told reporters. He said the targeting of commercial ships and sailors in the region "must end" and that free and unimpeded navigation should be restored as soon as possible.
The MEA's written statement added that "the continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping remain a cause of deep concern for India", and once again called for dialogue and diplomacy to bring down tensions.
The Hormuz incident
A day earlier, the ministry had flagged a separate attack in the Strait of Hormuz. The Panama-flagged MT On Peace was struck by a projectile while passing off the coast of Oman. Of its 19 crew members, 17 were Indian, and 11 Indians were among the 12 people injured. Omani authorities evacuated the injured, who are being treated in Khasab. India said it viewed these attacks on shipping and seafarers "with grave concern."
Why this matters for India
India is one of the world's largest suppliers of seafarers. Lakhs of Indian officers and ratings work on foreign-flagged tankers, bulk carriers and container ships, which means almost any attack on merchant shipping anywhere in the world is likely to involve Indian lives. Families in Kerala, Goa, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, among others, depend on these jobs.
There is an economic side too. The Black Sea is a key route for grain, fertiliser and oil, and the Strait of Hormuz carries a large share of the crude that India imports. Rising risk on these routes pushes up freight and insurance costs, and those costs eventually show up in fuel and food prices at home.
India's diplomatic push
New Delhi has been trying to turn its concern into action. In September, India and Liberia launched a 25-nation Group of Friends on the Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers at the UN General Assembly. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said earlier this week that India is in talks with both Russia and Ukraine on civilian shipping, grain and energy. India had protested to both countries in July after attacks on civilian vessels killed and injured Indian sailors.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has described India's ceasefire proposal, which combines an energy ceasefire with a Black Sea truce, as the "broadest" of four peace initiatives Kyiv has received, the others coming from the US, Turkiye and Egypt.
What happens next
Indian missions in Romania and Bulgaria are expected to stay in touch with the injured and arrange their return home once they are fit to travel. Shipping companies and the Directorate General of Shipping are likely to keep advising Indian crew on high-risk routes. The bigger test is diplomatic: whether India's proposal for a Black Sea truce gains traction with Moscow and Kyiv before more sailors are hurt.
For families of seafarers worried about a relative at sea, the first point of contact remains the shipping company or manning agency, along with the Indian embassy in the country nearest to the incident.
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