• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. India summoned Ukraine Ambassador over Odesa port attacks.
  2. At least two Indian nationals killed, two others missing.
  3. Ukrainian Ambassador Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk was summoned.

New Delhi: India has summoned Ukraine's Ambassador to New Delhi and expressed grave concerns over recent attacks on merchant vessels near Odesa port that killed at least two Indian nationals. The fate of two other Indians remains unknown. According to a video posted by news agency ANI, an SUV bearing a Ukrainian flag was spotted entering the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) premises in New Delhi on Monday. Ukraine’s Ambassador, Dr Oleksandr Polishchuk, was summoned by the Indian government in connection with the incident.

"Today, the Ambassador of Ukraine to India, Dr Oleksandr Polishchuk, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs in connection with the attack on the commercial vessel MV OMORFI, which resulted in the tragic death of an Indian national," MEA said in a statement.
 
"The Ministry conveyed its serious concern over the incident and condemned such attacks on commercial shipping in the strongest terms, underscoring their adverse impact on the safety of maritime navigation, freedom of navigation, and international commerce," it added.
 
"The Ambassador was requested to convey to the Ukrainian authorities India’s strong concerns over the targeting of commercial vessels and reiterated that such actions, which endanger the lives of innocent civilian seafarers, are unacceptable and must be avoided," according to the MEA statement.

Why does India summon the Ukrainian envoy?

The summon came days after a merchant vessel carrying four Indian nationals was struck at Ukraine's Port of Odesa, with two crew members confirmed safe while information about the other two is still awaited, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday when MV AGN Ragnar was hit at the Port of Odesa, one of Ukraine's key Black Sea ports that has frequently come under attack since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.

ALSO READ: Fate Of Two Indian Sailors Unclear After Vessel Hit At Ukraine's Odesa Port; Two Others Confirmed Safe

The Indian mission, in a statement, said it is closely monitoring the situation.

Earlier today, the Ukrainian side issued a statement and expressed grief over the death of Indian sailors. However, it categotcially claimed Russia behind the attack. Therefore, the summon of Ukrainian envoy by New Delhi is still not clear. 

India had summoned Russian envoy last week

Earlier on July 21, the Ministry had summoned a senior Russian diplomat and expressed "grave concerns" after a missile strike killed four Indians on a Black ‌Sea cargo ship that was leaving a Ukrainian port.

Ukraine said Russia hit the Golden Leo – a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship manned by a crew from India and Syria – with three cruise missiles on Sunday, killing 10 people, including four ⁠Indians.

"Such attacks undermine the safety, security, and stability of international maritime commerce," said an statement released by MEA.

ALSO READ: Indian Crew Member Killed After Cargo Ship Comes Under Attack In Black Sea Near Russia, Two Safe

Kremlin ‌spokesman ⁠Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow was in touch with India on the matter. "We are explaining our position. Most importantly, our armed forces are striking - and will continue to strike - vessels involved in ⁠transporting ammunition, weapons, and so on for the purposes of the Kyiv regime," Peskov said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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