Merchant Navy sailor killed in Russian drone strike laid to rest in Kasaragod
The mortal remains of 26-year-old Merchant Navy sailor Akhil Joyan were laid to rest in his native Vellarikundu, Kerala, following his death in a Russian drone strike on a cargo vessel near Odessa. Joyan was one of four Indian sailors killed in the July 19 attack on the vessel Golden Leo.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing risks faced by civilian merchant mariners operating in conflict zones and the human cost of the Russia-Ukraine war on international maritime personnel.
The mortal remains of 26-year-old Merchant Navy sailor Akhil Joyan, who was killed in a Russian drone strike on a cargo vessel off Ukraine’s Odessa coast, were laid to rest at his native Vellarikundu on Monday (August 24), nearly a month after the attack.
The body was flown to Bengaluru and transported by road to his family home, reaching Vellarikundu around noon on August 24. The funeral service was held in the presence of Rajmohan Unnithan, MP, and Kasaragod district panchayat president Sabu Abraham.
Akhil was among 10 people killed when the grain-carrying cargo vessel Golden Leo was targeted in a Russian attack off Odessa on July 19. Four of those killed were Indians, with Akhil being the only one from Keralam. The vessel had 17 people on board, including Indian and Syrian sailors and Ukrainian pilots. Eight people were reportedly rescued.
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