Bucharest: At least two people were killed and several crew members, including an Indian national, sustained injuries after a Russian drone strike triggered
a fire aboard a Turkish-owned civilian cargo ship in the Black Sea, authorities said. The Indian Embassy in Romania confirmed that the Indian sailor injured in the attack on the Turkey-flagged commercial vessel, MV Royad Mammadov, is safe and is currently undergoing treatment. "We have learnt of an attack today on commercial vessel MV ROYAD MAMMADOV in the Black Sea. As per preliminary information, there have been two casualties (foreign nationals), while some crew members have been injured and are undergoing medical treatment in Romania. It is further reported that there are three Indian nationals among the crew members," the post read. "Mission is in close contact with the relevant authorities to ascertain further details about the safety and welfare of the Indian nationals," it added. Confirming the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Indian and Azerbaijani nationals were among those on board the ship. Zelenskyy said the vessel was carrying corn and came under attack in what he described as neutral waters. “A horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel in neutral waters carrying corn and owned by Turkiye,” the Ukrainian President said in a post on X. He said the ship’s captain was killed in the attack, while the fate of another person was still being determined. “11 crew members were rescued, one of them injured,” Zelenskyy further stated, adding that the incident highlighted the continuing risks faced by civilian shipping in the Black Sea. The latest attack on the commercial ship came a day after a 52-year-old employee at a pharmaceutical warehouse owned by Indian nationals was killed in a Russian strike in Ukraine’s Sumy region. Notably, India has consistently backed dialogue and diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that New Delhi had gone beyond simply advocating talks and stepped up its outreach to both Moscow and Kyiv in recent months. Jaishankar’s comments came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “good ideas” on working towards a mutually acceptable resolution to the conflict. The latest attack has also raised fresh concerns about the safety of Indian nationals and India-linked commercial interests amid the ongoing war.
