Assess risks before accepting Black Sea jobs: Govt after deaths of 5 Indians
India on Sunday urged its citizens to carefully assess the security situation before taking up jobs on commercial vessels operating in or transiting conflict-affected maritime
India on Sunday urged its citizens to carefully assess the security situation before taking up jobs on commercial vessels operating in or transiting conflict-affected maritime zones, particularly the Black Sea, as four Indian nationals were aboard a merchant vessel struck at Ukraine's Port of Odesa a day earlier. In an advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Indian nationals should carefully weigh the prevailing security risks before accepting employment on commercial ships operating in the region, where missile and drone attacks have intensified in recent months. Read Full Story The advisory came days after five Indian seafarers were killed in attacks on two commercial vessels in the Black Sea region within a week, underscoring the growing risks to merchant shipping amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. "Indian nationals intending to undertake employment on commercial vessels operating in or transiting the conflict-affected region are advised to carefully assess the prevailing security risks before accepting such assignments," the MEA said.
It noted that the security situation in and around the Black Sea and adjoining maritime areas "remains highly volatile due to the ongoing conflict" and warned that commercial vessels operating in or transiting these waters face "significant security risks, including missile and drone attacks." "Since April, there has been an increase in the number of such incidents on commercial vessels, which has also resulted in the tragic loss of five Indian lives," the ministry said. The advisory was issued as the Indian Embassy in Ukraine confirmed that a merchant vessel carrying four Indian nationals was struck at the Port of Odesa on Saturday. "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 July 25," the mission said in a statement.
According to the embassy, two of the four Indian crew members have been confirmed safe, while information regarding the other two is still awaited. Search and rescue operations are underway, and the embassy said it is in constant touch with the concerned authorities to ascertain their status and extend all possible assistance. There was no immediate information on the source of the strike, the circumstances surrounding the incident or the total strength of the vessel's crew. The identities of the four Indian nationals and the nature of their duties on board were also not immediately known. The MEA advised Indians who still choose to work on commercial vessels in the region to exercise utmost caution and obtain comprehensive information from employers, recruitment agencies and ship operators about the vessel's route, ports of call, security arrangements, insurance coverage and emergency response procedures.
The BriefWire