NEW DELHI — In a firm pushback against Moscow's narrative, the Indian government has officially rejected Russian claims that a merchant vessel attacked off the coast of Ukraine was transporting military hardware. The strike on the MV Golden Leo resulted in the tragic deaths of 10 individuals, including four Indian nationals.
India maintained on Friday that the commercial vessel was loaded with agricultural commodities, not arms.
The diplomatic friction follows the summoning of the Russian charge d'affaires in New Delhi earlier this week to register India's "grave concerns" and "unequivocal condemnation" regarding the strike. In the aftermath of that meeting, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia would continue to target vessels suspected of carrying arms bound for Ukraine.
Addressing a press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal provided details on the cargo, citing information from India’s Directorate General of Maritime Administration.
"As per information made available to us... MV Golden Leo, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged commercial vessel involved in the tragic incident in the Odesa port, had loaded grain as cargo before its departure on July 19," Jaiswal stated.
The MEA spokesperson's comments served as a direct refutation of the Russian justification for the strike. He further stressed India's foundational stance on maritime security during conflicts. "We once again reiterate that commercial shipping and seafarers must not be targeted under any circumstances," Jaiswal added.
This incident marks the first confirmed fatalities of Indian seafarers directly resulting from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The issue has been escalated to the highest diplomatic levels. Jaiswal noted that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar personally underscored this position to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, during a bilateral meeting in Manila on Wednesday.
The Indian government continues to demand safe maritime navigation in the Black Sea region and insists on the protection of innocent seafarers caught in the crossfire of the protracted conflict.
