Three Indian Nationals Return Home After Black Sea Ship Attack

Three Indian nationals—Sahil Sandhu, Ashwini Kumar, and Harman Singh—departed Romania for India on Saturday, October 11, after being rescued from the Turkish-owned cargo vessel MV Royad Mammadov. The ship was transporting corn from Izmail, Ukraine, to Ravenna, Italy, when it was attacked in the Black Sea outside Romanian territorial waters on Monday.

The strike killed two foreign seafarers and injured several crew members, including the three Indians. The Embassy of India in Bucharest coordinated the rescue and return of the nationals, arranging medical care at Constanța County Hospital for one of the injured men and expressing gratitude to Romanian rescue teams and medical authorities.

The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack, stating that the targeting of traffic in international waterways is severely undermining global commerce and the welfare of people across the world. India called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve ongoing conflicts and highlighted its participation in the 25-nation Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers to protect merchant crews.