The Kremlin on Tuesday said it was in contact with Indian authorities after four Indian nationals were killed in a missile strike on a commercial vessel in the Black Sea, hours after New Delhi publicly summoned Russia's top diplomat over the incident.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was in touch with Indian officials following the deaths of the four seafarers. However, Russia has not acknowledged responsibility for the strike, Hindustan Times reported.
Earlier in the day, India summoned Russian Chargé d'Affaires Vladimir Ladanov after a missile attack on the MV Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo vessel departing Ukraine's Odesa port on 19 July, killed four Indian crew members. A fifth Indian national remains in hospital in critical condition.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it conveyed India's "grave concerns and unequivocal condemnation" of the attack. The meeting was held publicly, with television cameras capturing Ladanov's arrival at the ministry, marking one of India's strongest public diplomatic responses to Russia since the war in Ukraine began.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the vessel, which carried Indian and Syrian crew members, was struck by three Russian cruise missiles while leaving Odesa. At least 10 people were killed in the attack. India's embassy in Ukraine said it was closely monitoring the situation and extending assistance to those affected.
The MEA did not disclose any response from the Russian side during the meeting.
India Faces Diplomatic Test
The incident puts renewed pressure on India's carefully balanced approach to the Ukraine conflict.
Since Russia's invasion in 2022, New Delhi has maintained ties with Moscow while calling for dialogue and diplomacy. India has continued to purchase Russian crude oil and has largely avoided directly criticising Russia in international forums.
The deaths of four Indian nationals, however, prompted an unusually public diplomatic protest.
The incident also follows another case earlier this year in which Indian seafarers were killed during US military strikes on commercial shipping in the Gulf of Oman, leading India to summon a senior American diplomat and lodge a formal protest.
Whether the latest démarche signals a broader shift in India's approach towards the Ukraine conflict or remains a response to the deaths of its citizens is likely to be closely watched by both Moscow and Western capitals.
