Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A cargo ship with three Indian nationals among its crew was hit by Russian drones in the Black Sea, killing its captain and injuring one of the Indian crew members. The MV Royad Mammadov caught fire and later sank.
Eleven crew members were rescued from the ship. One of the three Indian nationals on board was injured and taken to a hospital in Romania.
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The strike took place outside Romania’s territorial waters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the attack. He said two Russian drones had hit the civilian vessel, which was owned by Turkey.
The ship was carrying corn and was heading towards Ravenna in Italy. It was flying under the flag of St Kitts & Nevis and had last docked at the Ukrainian port of Izmail, according to vessel-tracking website VesselFinder.com.
INDIAN CREW MEMBERS SAFE
The embassy initially said it had learnt of an attack on the commercial vessel MV Royad Mammadov in the Black Sea. Minutes later, it issued a follow-up statement saying it had spoken directly to all three Indian nationals and confirmed that they were safe.
“All three Indian nationals are safe. We have spoken to them. One of them has been injured and is receiving medical attention,” it said.
The embassy added that it was in close contact with the hospital authorities and was extending “all possible support” to the Indian crew members.
ZELENSKYY BLAMES RUSSIAN DRONES
Zelenskyy said the ship was carrying corn when it was attacked. He described it as a civilian vessel owned by Turkey and said Azerbaijani and Indian nationals were among those on board.
“A horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel in neutral waters carrying corn and owned by Turkey. Azerbaijani and Indian citizens were on board,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
He confirmed that the ship’s captain had been killed.
“As of now, unfortunately, we know that the ship’s captain was killed. My condolences. The fate of one other person is still being established. Eleven crew members were rescued, one of them injured,” he said.
Russia did not immediately comment on Zelenskyy’s account. An earlier daily bulletin from Russia’s Defence Ministry said Russian forces had struck two cargo vessels.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE SHIP?
Romania’s Interior Ministry said 11 crew members from the vessel had been rescued. The country’s Naval Authority identified the ship as the MV Royad Mammadov and said the incident involved a fire.
The ship was heading towards Ravenna in Italy. The vessel had last docked at the Ukrainian port of Izmail.
Izmail is an important Ukrainian port on the Danube, close to the Romanian border. It has become a key route for moving Ukrainian goods during the war, particularly as attacks have made other routes through the Black Sea more difficult.
Romanian media reported that the incident happened near an oil platform operated by Romanian energy company OMV Petrom.
BLACK SEA SHIPPING UNDER GROWING RISK
The incident adds another layer of risk for commercial ships operating around the Black Sea.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has repeatedly spilled into the waters and airspace around the region. Ships carrying civilian cargo have continued to use the area despite the risks posed by missiles, drones and sea mines.
Romania has also had to deal with the wider consequences of the war. The NATO member shares a 614-kilometre land border with Ukraine.
Since the invasion began, Russian drones have breached Romanian airspace on several occasions. Mines have also been reported drifting through the Black Sea, including areas used by commercial shipping.
INDIAN SAILORS CAUGHT IN WAR
The latest attack also comes after a series of incidents involving Indian seafarers in the Black Sea in recent months. In July, four Indian sailors were killed when the cargo ship MV Golden Leo was hit by a Russian missile strike while leaving Ukraine’s Odesa port. Days earlier, an Indian sailor was killed when the MV Omorfi came under attack while transiting Russian territorial waters.
Another merchant vessel, MV AGN Ragnar, was attacked at Odesa port later that month with four Indians on board. Two were confirmed safe, while the whereabouts of the other two were initially unknown. India subsequently issued an advisory urging its citizens to carefully assess the security risks before taking jobs on commercial vessels operating in or transiting conflict-affected areas of the Black Sea.
The latest incident therefore adds to a growing list of attacks that have put Indian sailors working on commercial ships in the region at risk.
– Ends
With inputs from agencies
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
