3 Indians rescued after Russian drone strike on Black Sea ship depart Romania for India

LONDON: Three Indian nationals rescued from the Turkish-owned cargo vessel MV Royad Mammadov, which was attacked in the Black Sea on Monday, have departed for India, the Embassy of India in Bucharest has said.

"Three Indian nationals, Shri Sahil Sandhu, Shri Ashwini Kumar and Shri Harman Singh, departed for India today (Saturday), the mission said on Saturday.

"The Embassy provided all necessary support and assistance to facilitate their return. We express our sincere gratitude to the Romanian authorities, Constanța County Hospital, and the Romanian rescue teams for their invaluable assistance, cooperation and support," it said.

The vessel, owned by a Turkish company and carrying corn from Ukraine’s Izmail port to Ravenna in Italy, was struck while sailing in the Black Sea outside Romania’s territorial waters on Monday.

Two foreign seafarers were killed, and several crew members were injured. All 3 Indian nationals survived, although one was injured and received medical treatment in Romania.

The nationality of those killed in the attack was not immediately known.

On October 7, the Embassy representative visited the three Indian nationals rescued on October 6 from the vessel in the Black Sea.

Two were accommodated at a hotel, while the third person is undergoing treatment at the County Hospital in Constanta. All three are in stable condition, the mission said in a post on October 7, the mission said.

The Embassy facilitated essential items, including mobile phones, through the shipping company’s local agent, while arranging Indian food through a local Indian restaurant, it said.

The Embassy remains in close contact with the concerned authorities and continues to extend all necessary support.

India has emerged as the world's second-largest supplier of seafarers, contributing 311,936 maritime professionals to the global shipping industry, according to the BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026.

The report estimates that India now accounts for 12.16% of the global seafaring workforce, ranking behind only the Philippines and ahead of China, the Russian Federation and Indonesia.