NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (Mea) on Wednesday condemned a string of attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea region, including ships carrying Indian seafarers. India called for an immediate end to attacks that threaten commercial shipping and endanger the lives of seafarers.Mea spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India was monitoring the situation and assisting Indian nationals affected by the attacks.“We have seen a string of attacks in the Black Sea region in the last one or two days. We condemn such attacks that threaten commercial shipping and endanger the lives of our seafaring community,” Jaiswal said at a bi-weekly media briefing.Jaiswal said the commercial vessel MV Royad Mammadov came under attack while sailing in the Black Sea. Three Indian nationals were on board, all of whom were safe, though one was injured and receiving medical treatment.“We condemn such attacks that threaten commercial shipping and endanger, first, the commercial vessel MV Royad Mammadov came under attack while it was sailing in the Black Sea. There were three Indian nationals on board. All of them are safe, but one of them got injured and is receiving medical treatment. We thank Romanian authorities for lending a helping hand in this particular incident,” Jaiswal said.“The second ship that came under attack was Alfa Watan. This is a Togo-flagged ship. It came under attack yesterday and the fate of its crew is unknown at this point.”He further mentioned that another vessel, the Palau-flagged MV Able, came under a drone attack, but all 18 crew members, including seven Indian nationals, were rescued. “One Indian national has been injured and is receiving medical assistance and supervision,” he said, thanking Bulgarian authorities for their timely help. Jaiswal added that the Indian mission in Sofia was offering “all possible assistance” to the country’s seafarers.“The fourth ship, as I earlier said, that came under attack. This is a Liberian-flagged oil tanker Aframax Rio. All the crew members are Indian nationals. All 23 crew members on board this particular ship are Indian nationals and all of them have been rescued”, Jaiswal said.Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Romania said that a representative of the Embassy met three Indian nationals rescued from the commercial vessel M V Royad Mammadov on Tuesday. Bulgaria’s prime minister had said on Tuesday two commercial vessels were struck by drones on Tuesday in the first such attack on shipping in the Nato member’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.“This is an unacceptable attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. It is a blatant violation of international law and maritime law,” he said. Jaiswal also said India would continue to assist affected seafarers and reiterated New Delhi’s call for an immediate de-escalation of tensions.
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“We once again reiterate our calls for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate tensions. The targeting of shipping seafarers in the region must end and free and unimpeded navigation through international waterways must be restored at the earliest,” the spokesperson said.On Tuesday, the ministry had expressed grave concern over continuing threats to merchant vessels and seafarers in the region, warning that such attacks could have wider consequences for global commerce and the welfare of people worldwide.The Mea also highlighted India’s role in co-launching the “Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers” at the United Nations, highlighting New Delhi’s focus on the protection of maritime trade and those working aboard commercial vessels. External affairs minister S Jaishankar had separately flagged the issue during his address to the United Nations General Assembly the previous week, where he raised concerns over attacks targeting commercial shipping and stressed the need to safeguard freedom of navigation.The repeated warnings come as concerns over maritime security continue to grow.
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