Court Seeks Immediate Action Through Indian Missions
In the SC Seafarers Ukraine Attack matter, the Supreme Court directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to use diplomatic channels to trace an Indian seafarer who went missing after a drone strike in the Black Sea. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to obtain urgent instructions from the Indian Embassy in Kyiv (Ukraine) and the Embassy of India in Bucharest (Romania). The Court also fixed the matter for further hearing on Friday.
Petition Filed Under Article 32
The Court was hearing a writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by Sandeep Kumar Gupta, a resident of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. He sought urgent intervention to trace and rescue his 26-year-old brother, Deepak Kumar Gupta, who went missing after the attack.
Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Nishant Bharihoke submitted that repeated representations sent to the Union of India, the MEA, and Indian embassies in Kyiv and Bucharest between July 26 and July 30 had not resulted in any concrete action. He argued that uncertainty between diplomatic missions delayed the response and affected the petitioner’s rights under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Drone Strike on MV AGN Ragnar
Deepak Kumar Gupta, an Ordinary Seaman from Siwan district, Bihar, was serving aboard the Palau-flagged cargo vessel MV AGN Ragnar. He had joined the vessel through Turkey-based Neva Shipping Corporation, while Dwello Ship Management Private Limited managed the vessel’s local operations.
On July 25, 2026, the vessel came under a drone attack while sailing near the Sulina River Breakwater at the mouth of the Danube after leaving a Ukrainian port. During the explosions and fire, Deepak Kumar Gupta and fellow Indian crew member Ram Chandra Dubey entered the water. Two other Indian nationals on board survived the incident.
Search Operations Suspended
According to the petition, regional maritime authorities initially launched search and rescue operations. However, they later suspended the search because of continuing air threats and adverse weather conditions. As a result, the two missing Indian seafarers remained untraced across the maritime boundaries of Ukraine and Romania.
Supreme Court Calls for Diplomatic Coordination
The petitioner argued that the incident involved overlapping international maritime zones. Therefore, coordinated diplomatic intervention by the Union of India was essential. He requested directions to ensure that authorities in Romania and Ukraine verify hospital records, rescue logs, custody records, and information maintained by coast guards and port authorities.
Taking note of the urgency, the Supreme Court directed the MEA to coordinate with Indian diplomatic missions in Kyiv and Bucharest and ascertain the whereabouts of the missing crew members. The SC Seafarers Ukraine Attack proceedings will continue at the next hearing after the government places updated information before the Court.
