‘Russia In Contact With India’: Kremlin Speaks After Strike On Ship With Indian Crew

‘Russia In Contact With India’: Kremlin Responds After Merchant Ship Attack Kills Four Indians

The Kremlin on Tuesday said Russia remains in contact with India following New Delhi’s strong diplomatic protest over a Russian strike on a merchant vessel in the Black Sea that killed four Indian crew members.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was maintaining communication with New Delhi despite the incident.

“Russia remains in contact with our Indian partners,” Peskov said.

Defending Russia’s military operations, he added that Russian forces would continue targeting vessels allegedly transporting military supplies for Ukraine.

“Our armed forces are striking and will continue to strike those vessels that are involved in transporting ammunition, weapons and so on, for the purposes of the Kyiv regime,” Peskov said.

India Summons Russian Diplomat

The Kremlin’s remarks came days after India summoned Russian Charge d’Affaires Vladimir Ladanov to lodge a strong protest over the attack on the Guinea-Bissau-flagged merchant vessel MV Golden Leo as it navigated Ukraine’s maritime corridor.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it conveyed India’s “grave concerns and unequivocal condemnation” over the strike, which claimed the lives of four Indian nationals.

The MEA said targeting commercial shipping and causing civilian casualties was unacceptable and posed a serious threat to international maritime safety.

“The Russian Charge d’Affaires was requested to convey India’s strong concerns to his authorities that the targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives are unacceptable and must be avoided,” the ministry said.

Four Indians Killed, One Injured

The MV Golden Leo was carrying 17 crew members, including five Indians, when it came under attack.

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, the strike killed 10 crew members—four Indians and six Syrians.

India confirmed that four Indian nationals lost their lives, while another Indian crew member sustained critical injuries and was admitted to hospital.

The MEA said the Indian mission in Ukraine was in touch with local authorities and extending all possible assistance to the affected crew.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and wish the injured Indian national a speedy and full recovery,” the ministry said.

India Condemns Attack On Civilian Shipping

Without explicitly naming Russia, India strongly condemned attacks on commercial vessels and reiterated that civilian ships and seafarers must not be targeted during armed conflicts.

“India condemns such attacks and reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, is deplorable and should be avoided,” the MEA said.

The attack on the MV Golden Leo came amid intensifying fighting between Russia and Ukraine and marked the first reported instance of Indian seafarers being killed in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.