Ukraine has urged India to enhance its response to Russian attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea following the deaths and injuries of Indian sailors. This was stated by the Embassy of Ukraine in India, which emphasized that Russia continues to target port infrastructure and civilian shipping.
The Ukrainian authorities reported that they are providing all necessary assistance to the ship’s crew and are coordinating their actions with the Embassy of India in Ukraine. The embassy also highlighted the recommendations from the Directorate General of Shipping of India, published on July 15 for the Strait of Hormuz and on July 23 for the Black Sea. According to its assessment, comparing these documents raises “serious questions” about whether the warning for the Black Sea aligns with the actual level of threat posed by ongoing Russian attacks.
Request for conversation remains unanswered
Kyiv reported that it had requested a telephone conversation between Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and India’s Minister of Foreign Affairs S. Jaishankar to discuss the safety of shipping in the Black Sea. According to the Ukrainian side, there has been no response to this request yet.
The embassy also referred to an appeal from the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, which called for enhanced security measures for Indian sailors working in conflict zones. “We share its concerns and expect that our repeated warnings about the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea, along with these calls from India’s maritime community, will prompt the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Directorate General of Shipping to take appropriate preventive measures,” the statement said.
Call for a stronger response
Ukraine reminded that after the previous attack on the vessel MV Golden Leo, which resulted in the deaths of four Indian citizens, the Chargé d’affaires of Russia was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the statement, the embassy questioned whether New Delhi will take similar action again, given that Russian attacks continue to endanger Indian sailors.
According to Kyiv, 13 members of the Indian crew remain stranded on board the cargo ship MV AMIR 1 in the port of Chornomorsk, which continues to face threats from Russian missile and drone attacks.
Source: NDTV Hindi
