A merchant vessel carrying four Indian nationals was struck at Ukraine’s Port of Odesa, with two crew members confirmed safe while information on the other two is still awaited, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv said on Sunday.
The incident took place on Saturday when MV AGN Ragnar was hit at the Port of Odesa, one of Ukraine’s key Black Sea ports that has come under repeated attack since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
In a statement, the Indian Embassy said it was closely monitoring the situation.
"The Embassy of India in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation following the incident involving MV AGN Ragnar, which was struck at the Port of Odesa on 25 July," it said.
The embassy confirmed that four Indian nationals were on board the vessel at the time of the incident.
"According to the latest information, two have been confirmed safe, while information is awaited regarding the other two nationals," it said.
Search and rescue operations are under way, with the embassy remaining in constant contact with the relevant authorities to determine the status of the missing crew members and provide all possible assistance.
There was no immediate information on the source of the strike, the circumstances surrounding the incident or the total number of people on board the vessel.
The identities of the four Indian nationals and their roles on the ship were also not immediately known.
Odesa, Ukraine’s principal Black Sea port, has been the target of frequent missile and drone attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Merchant shipping in the Black Sea has periodically been disrupted despite efforts to keep maritime trade routes operational.
India has repeatedly advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Ukraine because of the security situation and has continued to provide consular assistance to Indian nationals in the country since the conflict began.
(With inputs from PTI)