India says it has summoned a senior Russian diplomat and expressed “grave concerns” after a missile strike killed four Indians on a Black Sea cargo ship that was leaving a Ukrainian port.
Ukraine says Russia hit the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship manned by a crew from India and Syria, with three cruise missiles on Sunday, which killed 10 people, including four Indians.
Russia did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Vladimir Ladanov, Russian charge affairs, was summoned to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, a statement from the ministry said on Tuesday.
Ladanov was asked to convey India’s strong concerns and told that the targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of civilian lives was “unacceptable”, the statement said.
“Such attacks undermine the safety, security, and stability of international maritime commerce,” the statement said.
The Golden Leo is owned by a Mumbai-based Ocean Grace Shipping Ltd, according to LSEG data.
India has also lost seafarers in the Iran war, and protested to both the United States and Iran over the losses.
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