Indian sailors stranded on Ukrainian port ship amid attacks

Fifteen sailors, including 13 Indian nationals, are stranded aboard a cargo vessel at the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk on the Black Sea, facing what their union describes as a "terrible and life-threatening situation" due to nearby missile and drone attacks. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India issued an urgent appeal on July 28, 2026, calling for the immediate evacuation and repatriation of the crew from the Palau-flagged MV AMIR1.

According to the union, repeated attacks are occurring in the immediate vicinity of the docked ship, leaving the 15 crew members living under constant fear of a direct hit. The union has appealed to Indian authorities, the ship's owners, and the vessel's flag state to intervene and secure the sailors' safety, stressing that Indian seafarers must not be left as "sitting targets in conflict zones." At the time of the union's statement, neither India's Ministry of External Affairs nor the shipping company had publicly responded.

This crisis unfolds against a backdrop of escalating dangers for commercial shipping in the Black Sea amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The union's appeal came just a day after Indian diplomats summoned...