Drone Strikes Vessel Carrying 23 Indian Seafarers Near Black Sea

A merchant vessel carrying 23 Indian seafarers, MV BARYON, was struck by a drone on 2 Sep 2026 while sailing from the Russian port of Novorossiysk to Karachi, Pakistan, according to the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI). The drone hit the ship's accommodation section, sparking a fire that the crew was able to extinguish before the vessel resumed its voyage under its own power. FSUI said a second drone was also sighted near the vessel during the incident. The union, in a post on X, confirmed the ship's IMO number as 9151412 and stated that all 23 Indian crew members aboard were safe. Images and video circulated by FSUI showed visible fire damage to the vessel's superstructure following the strike. FSUI said the seafarers were performing routine duties and were not party to any conflict, raising concerns over the limited protections available to merchant crews operating in high-risk waters. The union urged India's Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and the Directorate General of Shipping to urgently verify the welfare of the crew, and called for stronger measures including High Risk Area compensation and diplomatic engagement with the relevant country. The attack adds to a pattern of threats facing commercial shipping in active conflict zones, with vessels in the Black Sea exposed to risks from the Russia-Ukraine war, while ships transiting the Gulf region face separate tensions linked to the ongoing US-Iran conflict.