India warns seafarers off Black Sea after five killed and AGN Ragnar hit

On July 26, a merchant ship called AGN Ragnar was struck at the Port of Odesa. Four Indian nationals were aboard. Two were confirmed safe by India's Embassy in Ukraine. The other two were unaccounted for as search and rescue operations got underway.

The same day, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued formal advice: nationals should think carefully before taking jobs on ships operating in or transiting the Black Sea. The security situation in the region, the ministry said, remained highly volatile.

Five Indian seafarers have been killed in attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea since April. Three days before the Odesa incident, India's maritime authority had already required all Indian-flagged ships and foreign ships with Indian crew to carry out specific security risk assessments before entering the area.

India has been caught repeatedly in the crossfire of the Russia-Ukraine war at sea. The government condemned each incident; the AGN Ragnar attack, on Saturday, brought the clearest official warning yet that the risk of taking Black Sea work is now one Indian nationals should weigh before signing on.