India has requested Russia and Ukraine to guarantee the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea. This request has arisen due to attacks on ships and dangers to Indian sailors. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has stated that negotiations with both parties are ongoing.
Risks for Indian sailors and economic impacts
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randeep Jaiswal, stated: “Targeting commercial ships and sailors in this region must cease, and free and unobstructed navigation in international waterways should be resumed as soon as possible.” According to a report in the shipping industry in 2026, India constitutes over 12 percent of the global maritime workforce, with the number of Indian sailors reaching 311,936. Recent attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea have highlighted serious risks for civilian crews.
Attacks on ships and reactions
The cargo ship MV Royad Mammadov, owned by Turkey and carrying a shipment of grain from Ukraine, caught fire and sank following an attack, resulting in the deaths of two crew members. Three Indian sailors aboard this ship were rescued despite injuries and were transferred to Romania for treatment. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has identified Russia as the perpetrator of this attack. The Russian Ministry of Defense has also separately announced that it targeted two Ukrainian cargo ships in the Black Sea but did not specify the names of the vessels.
The Liberian-flagged oil tanker Aframax Rio has also recently been targeted by drone ships. This vessel had 23 Indian sailors on board, all of whom were rescued.
India's diplomatic proposals
Anil Wadhwa, a former Indian diplomat, states that India's proposal to halt attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea includes energy infrastructure, safe passage for grain and energy exports, and ending attacks on commercial ships. He emphasized: “Providing a strong guarantee entirely depends on a broader cessation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine in the maritime domain.”
India's close relations with Russia and its expanding ties with Ukraine give New Delhi access to both parties, but there is no guarantee that both sides will adhere to an agreement on shipping. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha described India's proposal for a possible ceasefire with Russia as the “most extensive” of the four proposals Kyiv has received.
Economic consequences for India
The halt of shipping in the Black Sea also has other repercussions for India, including delays in the delivery of key goods and increased transportation costs. Leka Chakraborty, a professor at the National Institute of Financial and Public Policy, stated: “A prolonged disruption in the Black Sea could increase India's import costs, especially through rising transportation costs on Russian crude oil and restrictions on soft oil supply, which will have immediate impacts on domestic edible oil prices and food inflation.”
