The search for two Indian seafarers missing after a merchant vessel was struck at Ukraine’s Odesa port remains underway, with India maintaining contact with local authorities and the families of the missing sailors, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.”We are in touch with the local authorities as well as the families of the missing seafarers. As you know, four Indians were aboard that vessel. Two among them are still missing. A search operation is still underway,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during the weekly media briefing.The vessel, MV AGN RAGNAR, was hit by a projectile while docked at the Port of Odesa on July 25. Four Indian nationals were on board at the time of the attack. While two have been confirmed safe, the fate of the remaining two is still unknown as search and rescue operations continue.The incident comes less than a week after a deadlier strike near Odesa in which four Indian seafarers were among 10 crew members killed when the Guinea-Bissau flagged merchant vessel MV Golden Leo was hit by projectiles on July 19.Following that attack, India summoned the Russian Embassy’s chargé d’affaires in New Delhi to convey its strong concerns over the safety of Indian nationals serving on commercial ships in the conflict zone.Jaishankar raised the issue with Russian Foreign MinisterExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also raised the issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila on July 22, stressing the need to ensure the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the region.In the wake of the recent attacks, the MEA has issued an advisory asking Indian merchant seafarers to carefully assess the security situation before accepting assignments on vessels operating in or transiting the Black Sea.The advisory warned that the security environment in and around the Black Sea remains highly volatile due to the ongoing conflict, with commercial vessels facing persistent threats from missile and drone attacks. It urged seafarers to obtain detailed information from employers on routes, security arrangements, insurance cover and emergency response mechanisms before taking up assignments.The ministry has also advised Indian nationals to follow the latest security guidance issued by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration.Since April this year, a series of attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea region has claimed the lives of at least five Indian seafarers, underscoring the growing risks for merchant mariners operating in the conflict-hit waters.