At least 13 Indian seafarers are among 15 crew members stranded aboard the cargo vessel M.V. AMIR1 at Ukraine's Chornomorsk port as drone and missile strikes continue in the vicinity of the strategic Black Sea harbour, the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI) warned on 29 July. The union has described the situation as 'terrible and life-threatening', with crew members living in 'constant fear of a direct hit at any moment.'

The Distress Call

The FSUI issued an urgent appeal on X (formerly Twitter), calling on the Indian government, the vessel's shipowners, its flag state, and other relevant authorities to intervene immediately. 'Repeated drone and missile attacks are being attempted in the immediate vicinity of the vessel,' the union stated, urging swift evacuation and repatriation of those onboard.

To underscore the severity of conditions, the FSUI also shared a video reportedly recorded from aboard M.V. AMIR1, showing thick plumes of smoke rising from areas surrounding the ship. As of the time of reporting, neither India's Ministry of External Affairs nor the vessel's operating shipping company had issued an official statement on the matter.

A Deadly Week for Indian Seafarers in the Black Sea

The stranding of the AMIR1 crew comes in the wake of a series of fatal attacks on merchant vessels operating near Ukraine's southern coastline. On 18 July, the MV OMORFI was struck while transiting the Black Sea in Russian territorial waters. The vessel carried 10 crew members, including three Indian nationals; one Indian seafarer was killed in that attack. The Embassy of India in Russia subsequently remained in contact with concerned authorities.

The following day, on 19 July, Russia struck the MV GOLDEN LEO as it was departing Ukraine's Port of Odesa, killing four Indian seafarers. India responded by summoning Russian Chargé d'Affaires Vladimir Ladonov to lodge a formal protest over the strike on the merchant vessel. In total, at least five Indian seafarers were killed in separate Black Sea attacks within that single week.

In a further incident, the Palau-flagged cargo vessel MV AGN Ragnar was struck near the Port of Odesa late on a Saturday evening. Two Indian seafarers aboard that vessel remain missing.

India's Diplomatic Response

New Delhi has summoned diplomats from both Russia and Ukraine to register its strong protest over the repeated targeting of civilian merchant vessels. India has also called for guarantees of safety for commercial shipping and civilian seafarers operating in international waters during the ongoing conflict.

This is not an isolated episode — the Black Sea has emerged as an increasingly perilous zone for civilian shipping since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with merchant vessels caught in the crossfire of a war neither their crews nor their flags have any part in. The fate of the 13 Indian seafarers aboard M.V. AMIR1 will test how effectively New Delhi can secure the safety of its nationals in active conflict zones.