Russia struck a Turkish-owned civilian bulk carrier leaving Odesa with corn on July 19, killing 10 people, including four Indian nationals. India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the deplorable strike, which marks the first instance of Indian seafarers killed in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia struck a Turkish-owned vessel near Odesa: five people were killed
Russian forces attacked the civilian cargo ship GOLDEN LEO with three Kh-59/Kh-69 missiles, according to Ukraine’s Navy.
The vessel was sailing under the flag of Guinea-Bissau, and its owner is a Turkish… https://t.co/s0IWnYs4tk pic.twitter.com/nuX2xszwXl
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 19, 2026
The Ukrainian Navy said Russian forces fired three Kh-59/Kh-69 cruise missiles at the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged bulk carrier owned by a Turkish company. The Kh-59 is an air-launched cruise missile. Its stealth variant, the Kh-69, carries a reduced radar cross-section designed to evade air defense systems. The missiles heavily damaged the starboard side of the superstructure, trapping crew members in the accommodations block and igniting a major fire.
Our statement on attacks on commercial vessel – MV GOLDEN LEO ⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/rhM365hrWJ pic.twitter.com/UMfD7qmT53
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 20, 2026
The vessel carried 18 people, including Indian and Syrian crew members. Rescue teams pulled eight survivors from the burning vessel during overnight operations, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) confirmed. Among the dead was a USPA maritime pilot who had boarded to guide the ship out of port.
The Indian ministry said four of its five nationals aboard died and one was critically injured. India described targeting commercial shipping as deplorable but stopped short of directly naming Russia. “We strongly condemn yet another Russian war crime targeting civilian shipping, international trade, and freedom of navigation,” the USPA said.
The attack directly contravenes a maritime agreement Russia accepted under U.S. mediation in March 2025. The White House stated that the agreement committed the Kremlin to “ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.”
A separate Russian strike on Odesa on July 20 killed three people and wounded three others, Serhiy Lysak, head of the city’s military administration, said.
