Two Indians safe, two missing after attack on Ukraine's Odesa port

Indian authorities informed on Sunday that they working to establish the whereabouts of two Indian crew members after a merchant ship carrying four Indian nationals was struck while docked at Ukraine's Odesa port on Saturday.

The Indian Embassy in Kyiv said it is actively coordinating with local authorities following the incident involving MV AGN Ragnar, which came under attack at the strategic Black Sea port.

According to the mission, two of the four Indians on board have been confirmed safe, while efforts are continuing to verify the status of the remaining two. Search and rescue operations are in progress.


"Embassy of India in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation following the incident involving MV AGN Ragnar, which was struck at the Port of Odesa on July 25," it said. "As per the latest information, two have been confirmed safe, and information is awaited regarding the other two nationals," it said.


Officials have not yet disclosed the identities of the four crew members or the roles they were performing on the vessel. There was also no immediate confirmation about the source of the strike or details regarding the total number of people on board.

The incident occurred at Odesa, Ukraine's largest seaport on the Black Sea, which has repeatedly come under missile and drone attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Despite attempts to maintain commercial shipping through the region, merchant vessels continue to face significant security risks.

India has a fresh advisory cautioning Indian seafarers against accepting assignments on commercial vessels operating in or transiting the Black Sea and adjoining conflict-affected waters.

The Ministry of External Affairs warned that the security environment in the region remains highly volatile and noted that five Indian nationals have lost their lives in attacks on commercial vessels since April this year.

The embassy added it will continue to monitor developments and provide consular support as rescue efforts continue.