Indian Seafarers at Risk in Black Sea War Zone (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: The Indian seafarers, who are employed in the conflict zones, are increasingly becoming vulnerable to the growing number of attacks on cargo ships in the Black Sea area. A Turkish flagged ship named Yasar with four Indians on board was subjected to a number of drone attacks near Novorossiysk port of Russia this week.
As per FSUI, the ship suffered drone attacks on five occasions consecutively and all four Indian seafarers managed to survive the attacks. However, it has become quite evident that there are many dangers for those people working in war affected zones.
FSUI said it is a very disturbing situation and further added, “Seafarers are not Hollywood or Bollywood heroes who always survive till the end.” The union also wondered about the duration for which safety of Indian sailors would be under threat due to international conflicts.
In light of persistent attacks on shipping lanes, FSUI has addressed an appeal to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, asking him to take immediate action in the interest of safety of Indian seamen. The union has asked for protection by the Indian Navy for the safety of sailors who operate in dangerous zones.
The seafarers of India have been getting entangled in the international issues in recent times, whether it is attacks on ships in the Middle East or strikes due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Black Sea.
Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has instructed the DGMA to act immediately in this regard.
The safety concerns come after another attack near Ukraine’s Odesa port, where a cargo vessel carrying Indian crew members was targeted. Two Indian seafarers went missing following the incident.
The Centre informed the Supreme Court that extensive search and rescue operations were carried out, but the missing sailors could not be traced so far.
Authorities have assured that efforts are continuing to locate the missing crew members and provide necessary assistance to affected families.
With conflicts expanding across different regions, commercial shipping routes have become increasingly vulnerable to missile and drone attacks. India, one of the world's largest sources of maritime workforce, is now facing growing pressure to ensure better protection for its sailors deployed in dangerous waters.
