The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Sunday issued an advisory urging Indian nationals to carefully assess security risks before accepting jobs on commercial vessels operating in or transiting the Black Sea region, citing an increase in missile and drone attacks that have claimed the lives of five Indians since April.
Event Context
The foreign ministry said the security situation in and around the Black Sea and adjoining maritime areas remains “highly volatile” due to the ongoing conflict, with commercial vessels facing significant threats while operating in the region.
“Since April 2026, there has been an increase in the number of such incidents on commercial vessels, which has also resulted in the tragic loss of 5 Indian lives,” the statement read.
The advisory asked Indian nationals planning to work on commercial vessels in the conflict-affected region to “carefully assess the prevailing security risks before accepting such assignments.”
It also laid down a series of precautions for those who choose to take up such employment.
The MEA advised seafarers to obtain detailed information from employers, recruitment agencies and ship operators about the vessel’s intended route, ports of call, security arrangements, insurance coverage and emergency response procedures before joining.
