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Four Indians killed in Russian attack on ship leaving Ukraine's Odesa port
Russia hit the Golden Leo – a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship manned by a crew from India and Syria – with three cruise missiles
- PUBLISHED: Tue 21 Jul 2026, 9:55 AM UPDATED: Tue 21 Jul 2026, 9:57 AM
An attack on a ship leaving Ukraine's southern port of Odesa on Sunday killed four Indians and left another in a critical condition in hospital, India's foreign ministry said in a statement late on Monday.
Russia hit the Golden Leo – a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship manned by a crew from India and Syria – with three cruise missiles on Sunday, Ukraine's navy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
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"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 ministry statement said.
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The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the death toll in an official statement, noting that at the time of the incident, the vessel had 17 crew members on board, including five Indians.
The MEA expressed condolences to the bereaved families and stated that India's mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation while assuring assistance to all those affected.
"Our Mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to extend all possible assistance to those affected. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and wish the injured Indian national a speedy and full recovery."
In an official statement posted, the Ukrainian Navy stated that, "Russian occupiers launched a strike using three Kh-59/Kh-69 cruise missiles against the civilian bulk carrier GOLDEN LEO (flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau, owned by Turkey). At the moment of the attack, the vessel was moving out of the combat zone carrying a cargo of grain".
The navy further stated that the impact of the strike hit the starboard side of the superstructure, causing a fire on board. It noted that five people were killed while the fate of another five crew members remains unknown.
"Search operations are currently underway. The technical condition of the vessel is being assessed," it stated.
The statement further said that the units of the navy along with the Maritime Search and Rescue Service were deployed immediately to assist.
It added that as of of 10.30pm on Sunday, "eight crew members have been evacuated to a hospital in Odesa".
The Ukrainian navy expressed strong condemnation of the Russian strike, recognising it as an "act of terror".
"This is yet another targeted strike by Russia against an unarmed civilian vessel flying a foreign flag, which posed no military threat. The attack is an act of terror against peaceful shipping and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law," the navy stated.