4 Indian Sailors Killed After Missile Strike on Commercial Ship at Ukraine's Odesa Port; 1 Critically Injured

A devastating missile strike on a commercial cargo ship departing from Ukraine's southern port of Odesa on Sunday evening has left four Indian sailors dead and another fighting for his life.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi confirmed the casualties late Monday night, revealing that the vessel, MV Golden Leo, came under fire as it was leaving the active conflict zone. According to the Ukrainian Navy, Russian forces targeted the Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship using three cruise missiles.

Missile Strike on MV Golden Leo

The cargo vessel was carrying a mixed crew of 17 mariners from India and Syria when the missiles struck. Out of the five Indian nationals on board, four were killed instantly. "On the evening of 19 July 2026, the vessel MV GOLDEN LEO was attacked while departing the port of Odesa. At the time of the incident, there were 17 crew members on board, including 5 Indian nationals," stated Randhir Jaiswal, the Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), cited by Reuters, shows that the MV Golden Leo is owned and operated by Mumbai-based Ocean Grace Shipping Ltd.

India Condemns Targeting of Civilian Crew

The Indian government expressed profound grief over the tragedy while issuing a strong diplomatic statement against the targeting of non-combatant maritime workers.

The MEA statement detailed the ongoing emergency response:

• “As per information available, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalized in a critical condition. Our Mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to extend all possible assistance to those affected.”
• The ministry offered support to the grieving families and called for an end to maritime hostilities:
• “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased Indian nationals and wish the injured Indian national a speedy and full recovery.”
• “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.”

Port Infrastructure Hit in Separate Odesa Attack

The strike on the MV Golden Leo was part of a broader wave of violence hitting the region. In a separate incident on Monday, Russian forces launched another assault on Odesa, Ukraine’s largest and most vital economic seaport. Serhiy Lysak, head of Odesa's military administration, confirmed that the subsequent bombardment killed three people and wounded three others, damaging critical port infrastructure.

According to reports from the Ukraine Seaports Authority and Reuters, an intense search and rescue operation stretched through the night. Across the recent hostilities in the port area, officials reported a total of nine fatalities, including multiple crew members and a maritime pilot, while eight of the MV Golden Leo's 17 crew members have been successfully rescued.
 

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