India Summons Russian Envoy Over Killing of 4 Indian Sailors
India has summoned a senior Russian diplomat to protest a missile attack on a cargo ship in the Black Sea that resulted in the deaths of four Indian sailors. New Delhi condemned the targeting of commercial shipping, emphasizing that such actions threaten international maritime security.
Why it matters
The incident strains the historically close 'time-tested' relationship between India and Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
India's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it summoned a senior Russian diplomat to protest an attack on a cargo ship in the Black Sea this weekend that killed four Indian crew members.
Ukraine said Russia hit the Golden Leo - a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship manned by a crew from India and Syria - with three cruise missiles on Sunday, killing 10 people including four Indian citizens.
Vladimir Ladanov, Russian charg d'affaires, was summoned to India's Foreign Ministry following the incident.
"Such attacks undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce," India's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
New Delhi expressed "grave concerns and unequivocal condemnation" of the attack and asked Ladanov to convey to Moscow that "the targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives are unacceptable and must be avoided."
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