India11 October, 20262 min read
Three Indians Rescued From MV Royad Mammadov Attack Depart Romania For India
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Sahil Sandhu, Ashwini Kumar, Harman Singh rescued from MV Royad Mammadov after Black Sea attack. They departed Romania for India with Embassy of India Bucharest providing support.
Rescued Indians Return Home
Three Indian nationals, Shri Sahil Sandhu, Shri Ashwini Kumar and Shri Harman Singh, departed from Romania for India after being rescued from the commercial vessel MV Royad Mammadov, which came under attack in the Black Sea. The Embassy of India in Bucharest said, “Three Indian nationals, Shri Sahil Sandhu, Shri Ashwini Kumar and Shri Harman Singh, departed for India today,” and it added that the mission provided “all necessary support and assistance to facilitate their return.”
The Embassy said the three Indians were rescued from the vessel on Tuesday and that an Embassy representative visited them on Wednesday, with two accommodated at a hotel while the third was undergoing treatment at the County Hospital in Constanta. The Embassy also said it facilitated essential items, including mobile phones, through the shipping company’s local agent, while arranging Indian food through a local Indian restaurant, as the three departed for India on Saturday.
Attack, Deaths, Injuries
India condemned attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea region and reiterated its call for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate tensions, as Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi. Jaiswal said, “We have seen a string of attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea region in the last one or two days,” and he added that the MV Royad Mammadov came under attack while flying in the Black Sea.
The Deccan Chronicle said the Turkish-owned cargo vessel MV Royad Mammadov was struck while sailing in the Black Sea outside Romania's territorial waters on Monday, and it said two foreign seafarers were killed and several crew members were injured. The Embassy of India in Bucharest said all 3 Indian nationals survived, although one was injured and received medical treatment in Romania, while the nationality of those killed was not immediately known.
Diplomacy and Shipping Risks
The Embassy of India in Bucharest said it expressed gratitude to the Romanian authorities, Constanta County Hospital, and the Romanian rescue teams for their “invaluable assistance, cooperation and support” as the rescue effort concluded with the Indians leaving Romania. Jaiswal told reporters that attacks targeting commercial vessels threaten commercial shipping and endanger the lives of the seafaring community, and he said, “We condemn such attacks that threaten commercial shipping and endanger lives of our seafaring community.”
The Deccan Chronicle said India has emerged as the world’s second-largest supplier of seafarers, contributing 311,936 maritime professionals to the global shipping industry, and it estimated that India accounts for 12.16% of the global seafaring workforce. The Times of India said the BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026 estimates that Indian seafarers account for 12.16 per cent of the global workforce, placing India behind the Philippines but ahead of China, the Russian Federation and Indonesia.