File photo: A merchant vessel carrying four Indian nationals was struck at Ukraine’s Port of Odesa

NEW DELHI: Following the killing of five Indian nationals in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in recent days, the govt warned Indians intending to undertake employment on commercial vessels operating in or transiting the conflict-affected Black Sea region to carefully assess the prevailing security risks before accepting such assignments.The advisory came hours after a merchant vessel carrying four Indians was struck at Ukraine’s Odesa port. India’s embassy in Ukraine said on Sunday that while two of the Indians were safe, information about the other two was awaited.

The incident occurred on Saturday when MV AGN Ragnar was hit at the port of Odesa, one of Ukraine’s key Black Sea ports that has frequently come under attack since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The embassy said search and rescue operations were in progress and that it was in constant contact with the authorities concerned to ascertain the status of the missing crew members and provide all possible assistance.

Government asks sailors for detailed info on ship’s intended route

The MEA advisory said those who choose to undertake such employment should exercise utmost caution.“The security situation in and around the Black Sea and adjoining maritime areas remains highly volatile due to the ongoing conflict. Commercial vessels operating in or transiting these waters are facing significant security risks, including missile and drone attacks,” said the ministry.It added that since April 2026, there has been an increase in the number of such incidents on commercial vessels resulting in the loss of five Indian lives.Govt also asked Indian nationals to obtain comprehensive information from employers/recruitment agencies and ship operators regarding the vessel’s intended route, ports of call, security arrangements, insurance coverage and emergency response procedures.Meanwhile, urging all stakeholders to be more cautious in the light of ongoing tension across sea routes, the country’s maritime regulator DG Shipping on Friday retweeted the advisory of Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFCIOR), a 24×7 regional maritime security centre hosted by the Indian Navy.In the post on X, IFCIOR said maritime security environment across Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Aden, Bab-al-Mandab and Red Sea remained “highly volatile”, with concurrent hybrid threats, piracy activity and route-specific risks affecting commercial shipping.