Ten killed in Russian strike on Odesa grain ship

A Russian cruise missile attack on a commercial vessel departing Odesa has killed ten people, including four Indian nationals. The MV Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship owned by a Turkish company, was struck by three missiles on its starboard side as it left Ukraine’s maritime corridor carrying a cargo of grain.

Eight crew members were rescued following an overnight search and rescue operation, while one surviving Indian national remains hospitalised in critical condition. The dead included a Ukrainian pilot who was guiding the vessel out of port.

The targeting of a grain-laden vessel underscores the persistent volatility facing commercial shipping routes critical to European and global food supplies. For shipowners and cargo insurers, the strike serves as a stark reminder that the Black Sea corridor remains a high-risk environment for civilian fleets, despite ongoing efforts to maintain agricultural exports.

India’s foreign ministry condemned the assault. “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,” it said in a statement.

The attack also illustrates the mounting human toll on the global maritime workforce. India supplies more than 300,000 seafarers worldwide, making it one of the largest providers of merchant shipping labour. “As per information available, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives while one is hospitalised 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 added.

Indian mariners are increasingly caught in the crossfire of multiple geopolitical conflicts. At least ten Indian crew members have been killed this year in separate attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Ukraine’s acting foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, tied the maritime strike to a broader Russian offensive. “While the world is still responding to Russia's brutal overnight attack on Kyiv, Moscow continues its campaign of terror throughout the day,” Mr Sybiha said.