India summoned a top Russian envoy in New Delhi on Tuesday to protest a missile attack on a commercial ship in Ukraine that killed four Indian nationals.
The Indian foreign ministry called in Vladimir Ladanov, the Russian charge d'affaires, to express "grave concerns" and "unequivocal condemnation" over the incident. The attack struck the commercial vessel MV Golden Leo on Sunday, killing four of the five Indian sailors who were on board.
"Such attacks undermine the safety security and stability of international maritime commerce" the ministry stated. New Delhi instructed the Russian envoy to convey to Moscow that the targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives is "unacceptable and must be avoided".
According to Ukraine's navy Russian missile strikes hit the Golden Leo a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying grain under a Guinea-Bissau flag as it was leaving the port of Odesa.
The tragedy highlights the growing risks for Indian maritime workers. India is one of the world's largest contributors of sailors to merchant shipping with more than 320,000 active seafarers recorded in 2025.
While India and Russia maintain a "time-tested" friendship dating back to the Soviet era, their diplomatic ties have faced significant pressure since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
