Steephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod/Odesa
Kasargod/Odesa (Ukraine), July 20: A 26-year-old Merchant Navy sailor from Kerala's Kasargod district was among four Indian nationals killed after a Russian cruise missile strike ripped through a cargo vessel off the coast of Odesa, Ukraine's southern port city, in one of the deadliest recent attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
The deceased sailor has been identified as Akhil Joyan (26), a native of Vellarikkundu in Kasaragod district. The only son of Joyan and Sally of Vellarikkundu, Akhil had been serving in the Merchant Navy for the past six years. His death has plunged his family and the local community into grief. Another Indian crew member remains in a critical condition, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Akhil was serving aboard the ill-fated MV Golden Leo, a civilian cargo vessel owned by Mumbai-based Ocean Grace Shipping Ltd and sailing under the Guinea-Bissau flag. The ship, operated by a Turkish company, had loaded a consignment of corn in Ukraine and was heading towards international waters after departing the port of Odesa on the evening of July 19 when it came under attack.
According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia fired three cruise missiles at the vessel. The missiles struck the ship's starboard side, sparking a massive blaze that rapidly engulfed the cargo vessel.
The Golden Leo had 17 people on board, including five Indian nationals, at the time of the attack. The strike killed 10 people—nine crew members and one Ukrainian maritime pilot—while eight survivors were rescued during an overnight search-and-rescue operation conducted by the Ukrainian Coast Guard and port authorities. The injured were shifted to a hospital in Odesa for treatment.
Confirming the casualties, the MEA said, "Our Mission in Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation and is making every effort to extend all possible assistance to those affected." The ministry expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished the injured Indian sailor a speedy recovery.
India also strongly condemned the attack, stating that "targeting commercial shipping and endangering civilian crew, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and trade, is deplorable and should be avoided."
Ukrainian officials described the strike as the deadliest attack on commercial shipping in the Black Sea in recent weeks amid an escalation in hostilities. Ukraine's navy said the Golden Leo, carrying corn and manned by a multinational crew comprising Indian and Syrian sailors, was hit by three Russian cruise missiles, triggering the devastating fire.
The attack came amid renewed cross-border strikes between Russia and Ukraine. According to the Governor of the Odesa region, Russian attacks have claimed 28 lives in the region so far this month. Elsewhere, a Ukrainian drone strike on a bus in Russia's Belgorod region killed five people, including a child, while Russian strikes on several Ukrainian cities left at least eight people dead, underscoring the intensifying conflict.