India and Liberia Condemn Attacks on Commercial Shipping
India and Liberia issued a joint statement condemning attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and the Gulf as simply indefensible.
The Government of India and the Government of Liberia, acting as co-chairs of the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers (GoF on S4), issued a joint statement on October 8, 2026, condemning attacks on commercial ships and seafarers in the Black Sea and the Gulf. The two nations described the targeting of civilian infrastructure and merchant marines as "simply indefensible," noting that such actions disrupt maritime commerce and cost innocent lives.
The condemnation follows a series of incidents in the Black Sea involving the MV Royad Mammadov, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan, the Palau-flagged Able, and the Liberia-flagged Aframax Rio. These attacks resulted in injuries to Indian nationals and required the rescue of 23 crew members from the Aframax Rio. Injured crew members from the Able were evacuated to Varna, Bulgaria, with additional rescue support provided by Romanian authorities.
Launched on September 25, 2026, during the UN General Assembly session, the GoF on S4 aims to strengthen international cooperation through the International Maritime Organisation and the International Labour Organisation. India has maintained communication with Moscow and Kyiv to de-escalate tensions in the Black Sea region, where risks have increased since the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict.
