India summons Russia envoy to condemn deadly ship attack in Ukraine

NEW DELHI - India summoned Russia’s top envoy in New Delhi on July 21 to protest against an attack on a cargo ship leaving Ukraine’s port of Odesa that killed four Indian nationals.The Indian foreign ministry said it had summoned Vladimir Ladanov, the Russian charge d’affaires, to convey “grave concerns” and “unequivocal condemnation” of the attack on commercial vessel MV Golden Leo on July 19.The ship had five Indians on board, four of whom were killed, it said.“Such attacks undermine the safety, security, and stability of international maritime commerce,” the ministry said in a statement.The Russian envoy was also asked to convey to Moscow “that the targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives are unacceptable and must be avoided”, it added.In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov implied – without providing evidence – that the vessel had been carrying arms for Ukraine.“We are continuing our contacts with our Indian partners, explaining our position,” he told reporters on July 21.“Our armed forces are striking and will continue to strike those vessels involved in transporting weapons and ammunition.”Ukraine’s navy said on July 19 that Russian missile strikes had hit the Golden Leo, a Turkish-owned, Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship carrying grain.India is one of the largest contributors of sailors to merchant shipping worldwide, with more than 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, according to the country’s shipping ministry.Russia and India consider each other “time-tested” friends with ties dating back to the Soviet era, but their relationship has come under significant pressure since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. AFP