Ukraine claimed responsibility after explosions hit the vessels on Friday and Saturday.
A Liberia-flagged oil tanker, Aframax Rio, carrying 23 Indian nationals, was attacked by drone boats off Russia's Black Sea coast near Sochi. All crew members were safely evacuated, though a significant fire is burning. The incident highlights escalating risks to commercial shipping in the Black Sea amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, prompting India to express grave concern over attacks on international waterways.
A Russian drone strike on a Turkish-owned civilian cargo vessel in the Black Sea resulted in the death of the ship's captain and injuries to one crew member. The vessel, carrying corn, had Azerbaijani and Indian citizens on board. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, highlighting the ongoing disruption to global food security and India's diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
Russia's Moskva missile cruiser, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been hit by heavy fire and the following detonation of ammunition, the Russian defense ministry said on Thursday.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated readiness to consider a truce covering energy infrastructure and the Black Sea.
An Indian national was tragically killed in an attack on the commercial vessel MV OMORFI on July 18 while it was reportedly transiting Russian territorial waters in the Black Sea, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed, condemning the incident and calling for upholding international obligations for maritime safety.
Russia has expressed gratitude for India's readiness to contribute to resolving the Ukraine conflict, while Ukraine's Foreign Minister praised India's ceasefire proposal as the "broadest" among those received. President Putin also acknowledged Prime Minister Modi's "very good ideas" for a mutual settlement, highlighting India's intensified diplomatic efforts focusing on Black Sea safety, grain exports, and energy supplies.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has publicly acknowledged India's intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, engaging directly with both Kyiv and Moscow. India is focusing on critical issues like Black Sea shipping safety, grain exports, and energy supplies, moving beyond its previous advocacy role. Jaishankar also highlighted India's historical ties with Russia and discussed the evolving global geopolitical landscape, including the repositioning of the US and the rise of China.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held extensive discussions to strengthen bilateral trade, defence, and energy cooperation, while also addressing the ongoing Ukraine conflict and exploring avenues for peace and resolution, with Modi reiterating India's call for dialogue and diplomacy.
It was one of two Su-27s flying. This happened in international airspace over international waters.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that the world is entering an age of flux marked by conflicts and tariff volatility, requiring India to respond effectively to these challenges. He reiterated India's consistent stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, advocating for dialogue and diplomacy, and highlighted India's efforts to engage with both sides. Jaishankar also emphasised India's role in championing the voice of the Global South and navigating complex strategic partnerships in a multi-aligned world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday discussed with a group of senior ministers the prevailing global security situation and how to maintain supply chain uninterrupted despite conflicts in different zones, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Black Sea, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline shutdown could make crude costlier for India as refiners face fewer supply routes and rising freight and insurance costs.
Four Indian nationals have been killed in an attack on the vessel MV Golden Leo during departure from the port of Odesa in Ukraine on Sunday evening, while one is critically injured.
In a statement issued the Russian Foreign Ministry has objected to the entry of USS Monterrey guided missile cruiser armed with AEGIS missile shield for joint Sea Breeze 2011 war games with Ukraine.
If Iran and Oman choose to charge a fee for rendering services to vessels using their territorial waters, so be it. The US is indulging in an irrationally self-destructive act, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to move from 'endless war to the end of war' in Ukraine, emphasising that a peaceful resolution is humanity's shared priority.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Kyiv, reiterating India's readiness to assist in ending the Ukraine-Russia war. He emphasised that solutions would not emerge from the battlefield and highlighted Prime Minister Modi's call for an end to the conflict. Discussions also covered humanitarian aid, the impact on commercial shipping, and bilateral trade, with Jaishankar inviting his Ukrainian counterpart to India for further talks.
Putin argued that European countries are putting forward demands related to the conflict that Russia cannot accept. He further accused Europe of obstructing initiatives by the United States and President Donald Trump to pursue a negotiated settlement.
It is an unusual choice to depute a retired general for the funeral of a revered religious figure but a thoughtful one in an attempt to inject verve into the bilateral relationship and restore the equilibrium in India's West Asian policies, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
According to a post on X by the US European Command, the tanker violated US sanctions and was tracked by the US Coast Guard cutter Munro prior to the operation.
The harsh truth is that the US is no longer a reliable partner, cautions Ramesh Menon.
On March 14, a Russian Su-27 jet collided with a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea.
The flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been hit by heavy fire, the Defense Ministry said.
Amidst the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the Oil Ministry assures citizens that India's LPG supply remains secure, with no need for panic booking of cylinders. The normal delivery cycle of two-and-a-half days is being maintained, and crude oil is being sourced from diverse routes.
Russian shipments averaged 1.67 million barrels per day in January compared to 1.48 million bpd in December and 1.53 million bpd a year earlier.
Russian missile strikes hit 'critical infrastructure' in Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa on Sunday morning, Serhii Bratchuk, spokesman of the Operational Staff of Odesa regional military administration said.
Witkoff confirmed that while progress had been made, there were still unresolved details that would be addressed during the upcoming talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his upcoming visit to India in December and expressed his intention to address the trade imbalance between the two countries, particularly concerning India's crude oil imports from Russia. He also lauded India's independent stance on international issues and highlighted the strong relationship between the two nations.
This weekend, Donald Trump has begun to say the quiet part out loud -- that he wants to take control of Iran's oil, a formulation more in line with his robber-baron style of international relations.
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
If the oil infrastructure is attacked by the United States, the whole area could be flooded with oil, spilling into the Persian Gulf.
The Tu-154 model plane, which belonged to the Russian defence ministry, crashed shortly after take-off from the southern city of Adler.
The summit, scheduled for Friday, marks the first in-person meeting between the leaders of the US and Russia in over four years.
The agreement has ended a wartime standoff that had threatened food security in several countries and cleared the way for exporting tons of Ukrainian grains.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken a gamble on Ukraine and is betting that US President Barack Obama will blink first.
What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.
The original document, brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy last Tuesday during his Moscow visit and approved by EU foreign ministers in Brussels the next day, has already been signed by separatist leaders of the breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
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