Vessel with 4 Indians struck at Ukraine's Odesa port, second such attack in a week

A merchant vessel carrying four Indian nationals was struck at Ukraine's Port of Odesa on Sunday. As per an official statement from the Indian Embassy in Kyiv, two crew members have been confirmed safe, while information about the other two is still awaited.As per the statement from the embassy, the incident occurred on Saturday when MV AGN Ragnar was hit at the Port of Odesa, (REUTERS/Representational)As per the statement from the embassy, the incident occurred on Saturday when MV AGN Ragnar was hit at the Port of Odesa, one of Ukraine's key Black Sea ports that has frequently come under attack since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.The Indian mission, in a statement, said it is closely monitoring the situation.This incident also comes days after four Indian seafarers were killed in a Russian strike at Odesa port. Following this attack, India also summoned the senior-most Russian diplomat and lodged a strong protest. India issues advisoryThe confirmation of this attack also comes after India issued an advisory for nationals taking up work on vessels in the Black Sea."Commercial vessels operating in or transiting these waters are facing significant security risks, including missile and drone attacks,” the advisory said. There has been an increase in such attacks on commercial vessels since April, resulting in the death of five Indians," said a statement issued by the ministry of external affairs."Seafarers choosing to work in the region should exercise utmost caution and take other precautions, including obtaining comprehensive information from employers, recruitment agencies and ship operators regarding the vessel's route, ports of call, security arrangements, insurance coverage, and emergency response procedures, the advisory added. Indian seafarers needing consular assistance can contact Indian embassies or Consulates in the region. The emergency contact numbers are –Embassy of India, Russia: +7 9652773414Embassy of India, Ukraine: +38 0933559958.