Hours after the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) issued an urgent appeal in view of a “life threatening” situation for 13 Indian seafarers on board a commercial vessel in the Black Sea, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine has taken note of the issue and said that it is attaching “highest priority” to the matter.

“A situation regarding M.V. AMIR1 with Indian seafarers onboard has been brought to our attention. We attach the highest priority to this and are in constant touch wih all concerned to ensure safety and security of all Indians on board,” the Indian Embassy said in a social media post.

Earlier on Tuesday (July 28, 2026), the FSUI had issued an ‘Urgent Appeal’ regarding M.V. AMIR1 saying that 13 Indian sailors are among the ship’s 15 crew members who are “trapped in a terrible and life-threatening situation.”

“Repeated drone and missile attacks are being attempted in the immediate vicinity of the vessel. The crew is living under constant fear of a direct hit at any moment. We urgently appeal to all concerned authorities, ship owners, flag state, and the Government of India to immediately secure their safety and arrange prompt repatriation. Indian seafarers must not be left as sitting targets in conflict zones,” the FSUI said in a statement late Tuesday evening (July 28, 2026).

India had issued an advisory for its seafarers on July 26 against the backdrop of frequent attacks on civilian merchant vessels in the Black Sea and nearby regions that have emerged as the maritime front of Russia-Ukraine war.

On July 18, a Ukrainian projectile hit MV OMORFI that left one Indian sailor dead. This was followed by the July 19 hit on MV GOLDEN LEO near the port of Odesa by projectiles that were fired by the Russian side that left ten seafarers dead out of whom four were Indians. This was followed by the hit of MV AGN Ragnar at the port of Odesa on July 25. Four Indian nationals were on board this ship out of whom two were declared safe by the Indian Embassy in Kyiv and two are yet to be located.

On July 22, India summoned the Russian Charge d’Affaires over the bombing of MV GOLDEN LEO and the Ukraine Ambassador was summoned by the MEA on Monday (July 27, 2026) over the bombing of MV OMORFI and both sides were conveyed India’s “strong concerns” about attacks on the commercial vessels.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, on Tuesday (July 28, 2026), said that India is the second largest supplier of seafarers in the world, and sought safety and security of these sailors in conflict zones across the world.

At the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), commencing on Monday (June 15, 2026), all eyes will be on India, which may put forth concerns over the U.S.’s recent attacks on four vessels with Indian seafarers on board.

India is the current Chair of the regional maritime cooperative association, which also has Iran, the UAE, Yemen, and Oman as its members — countries which have also been directly affected by the conflict in West Asia, and maritime disruptions caused by the American blockade and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. too features as a ‘dialogue partner’ at the association, in the role of an observer, wherein it participates and discusses issues but does not have voting rights.

Although the IORA’s charter explicitly bars members from raising issues that do not concern regional cooperation, in the broader scheme of things, India could look to utilise the forum for airing its concerns in the maritime space.

The Committee of Senior Officials is the IORA’s second-highest decision-making body.

The platform, with members spanning across continents, could be an avenue for a dialogue on the prevailing broader maritime concerns, and potentially, cooperation in the realm.

Besides issues specific to India, other member countries too would find themselves in the spotlight, particularly Iran, as it seeks to impose a ‘service fee’ on the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

“According to international laws, it is not possible to impose toll on the Strait of Hormuz, but service fees will be collected, and this will be established in the negotiations,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said.

Indian seafarers

In the past five days, the U.S. has attacked three foreign-flagged vessels that had Indian seafarers on board, for violating the naval blockade. The blockade imposed by the U.S. bars the use of Iranian ports, and the transportation of Iranian oil.

The Indian government has twice summoned the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks in the past three days. The Ministry of External Affairs has “lodged a strong protest” and described the incidents as “deeply worrisome”.

In a statement, the U.S.’s Central Command has stated that, since April 13, 2026, it has overall “disabled” nine vessels which were not complying to the blockade, whilst allowing passage for 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid.

Immediate concerns

Speaking to The Hindu at 10th Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius on April 11, 2026, Mauritius’ Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful had said the idea of the Indian Ccean as a “zone of peace” had been negated as the “war has come” to the ocean.

While denouncing the U.S. torpedo attack on Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, killing more than 80 sailors in March 2026, he also expressed his concerns over retaliatory attacks by Iran on the U.S.’s Diego Garcia military base on the Chagos archipelago.