India summons Russia envoy to condemn deadly ship attack in Ukraine
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- India summoned Russian charge d'affaires Vladimir Ladanov on July 21 to protest the July 19 attack on cargo ship MV Golden Leo near Odesa, which killed four of five Indian nationals aboard.
- India's foreign ministry called the strikes "unacceptable," said they undermine international maritime commerce, and urged Russia to avoid targeting commercial shipping.
- Russia's Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed without evidence that the vessel was transporting weapons for Ukraine, stating Russian forces "will continue to strike" such ships.
- Ukraine's navy said Russian missile strikes hit the Turkish-owned, Guinea-Bissau-flagged Golden Leo, which it said was carrying grain.
- India supplies more than 320,000 active seafarers worldwide in 2025 — one of the largest pools of merchant mariners globally — making attacks on commercial ships a direct safety concern for its citizens.
- Russia-India relations, described by both sides as "time-tested," have come under significant pressure since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with the Golden Leo strike adding fresh strain.
Why it matters: India formally condemned Russia after losing four citizens aboard a commercial vessel, publicly demanding Moscow stop targeting merchant ships — a step beyond its usual balancing act. With India supplying over 320,000 active seafarers globally and already straining the relationship since 2022, each civilian fatality on a commercial ship sharpens the diplomatic cost for Moscow.
