India condemns fresh attacks on commercial ships in Oman and Black Sea

India's Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday condemned fresh attacks on commercial vessels that killed two foreign seafarers and injured several Indian crew members, urging an immediate end to targeting of shipping.

Oman Attack

A Panama‑flagged vessel, MT On Peace, was struck by a projectile while passing through the Strait of Hormuz on October 6. The strike wounded eleven Indian crew members. The injured were evacuated to Khasab in Oman and are receiving medical care. The ministry thanked Omani authorities for their swift assistance.

Black Sea Attack

On October 5, a fire broke out aboard the commercial ship MV Royad Mammadov in the Black Sea, a zone increasingly used for drone strikes in the Russia‑Ukraine war. Romanian officials reported two crew members dead and eleven rescued. Two foreign seafarers were among the dead, while three Indian nationals on board escaped injury. Romanian authorities rescued the injured and are providing medical attention.

Reaction

The ministry said the incidents threaten global commerce and called for dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflicts. It stressed that navigation and trade through international waterways must be restored without delay and that "targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region must end."

Context

Attacks on merchant ships have risen as part of broader maritime security challenges linked to regional wars, making safe passage through key straits a growing concern for trade‑dependent nations like India.