India’s Foreign Ministry said that four Indian citizens were
killed and another was injured when Russian forces struck
the Guinea-Bissau‑flagged commercial vessel Golden Leo near Odesa on July
19, Reuters reported
on July 20.
The ministry condemned the attack, saying in a statement reported by Reuters 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 said the ship was hit by three cruise missiles. There were 17 people aboard, including crew members from India and Syria and a pilot from Ukraine’s Sea Ports Authority.
Ukrainian authorities said Monday the death toll from the
attack rose to 10, including the pilot.