An Indian sailor was injured after a Turkish-owned civilian cargo vessel came under a suspected Russian drone strike in the Black Sea, killing two other crew members and triggering a fire that later led to the vessel sinking.
The vessel, MV Royad Mammadov, was carrying three Indian nationals among its crew when it was attacked outside Romania’s territorial waters. The Indian Embassy in Romania said all three Indians were safe, with one receiving medical treatment.
Indian Ambassador to Romania Manoj Mohapatra spoke with the three Indian crew members at Constanța County Hospital and with the hospital’s chief physician, who confirmed that they were in good health and receiving medical care. The embassy said it remained in contact with Romanian authorities and was providing assistance to the injured sailor.
Ukraine blamed Russia for the attack. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said two Russian drones struck the civilian vessel, which was carrying corn and travelling towards Ravenna in Italy. He said the ship was Turkish-owned and carried Azerbaijani and Indian nationals.
Romanian authorities confirmed that two people had died and that 11 crew members were rescued after a fire broke out aboard the vessel. Romania did not immediately confirm the cause of the fire.
Russia has not publicly responded to the specific allegations that its drones struck the Royad Mammadov. An earlier Russian Defence Ministry bulletin said Russian forces had struck two cargo vessels, according to Reuters.
The vessel was flying the flag of St Kitts and Nevis and had last docked at the Ukrainian port of Izmail before heading towards Italy. Izmail has become an important export route for Ukraine during the war, particularly as repeated attacks have complicated maritime movement in the wider Black Sea region.
India condemns attack
India has strongly criticised the incident, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar describing attacks on civilian shipping as “completely unacceptable.”
Jaishankar said India had intensified diplomatic engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to address the wider Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“Attack on civilian shipping, from the Black Sea to the Gulf region, is completely unacceptable,” Jaishankar said, while reiterating India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy remain the way forward.
The incident adds to growing concerns over the safety of commercial vessels and international crews operating in and around the Black Sea.
Commercial shipping has repeatedly come under threat during the Russia-Ukraine war, with attacks, mines and other hazards affecting major trade routes. The risks have increasingly extended beyond the immediate battlefield, raising concerns for countries whose nationals work aboard international cargo vessels.
For India, the latest incident has particular significance because of the large number of Indian nationals employed in the global maritime sector.
The government has increasingly highlighted the safety of Indian seafarers as attacks on commercial shipping have spread across several strategic waterways, including the Black Sea, Red Sea and Gulf region. Jaishankar has called for the protection of civilian crews and adherence to international law.
The attack on the Royad Mammadov comes as the Black Sea remains a contested maritime environment more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The immediate priority for Indian authorities is the welfare of the three Indian sailors, while Romanian officials continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and the deaths of the two foreign crew members.
The incident nevertheless highlights a wider consequence of the war: commercial ships and civilian sailors increasingly face risks far beyond the front lines, even when operating on international waters and carrying cargo unrelated to military operations.
