Indian Authorities Engage Russian Embassy to Free Stranded Crew of Oil Tanker Detained Off Odisha Coast
New Delhi: Indian authorities are actively coordinating with Russian diplomatic officials to facilitate the repatriation and ensure the well-being of crew members stranded aboard the Unity, an impounded commercial oil tanker held off the eastern coast of Odisha.
As reported by ANI, The Cameroon-flagged vessel remains anchored roughly 10 kilometers off Paradip Port, where it has been immobilized since May following an arrest order issued by the High Court of Odisha. The judicial seizure stemmed from a private commercial dispute centered on unpaid bunker fuel bills.
The tanker had initially navigated to Paradip to offload a shipment of Russian crude oil consigned to Indian Oil Corporation before court directives halted its departure.
Crew Abandonment and Repatriation Efforts
The tanker carries an estimated 23 mariners, comprising 20 Russian nationals, one citizen of Kazakhstan, and two Egyptian crewmen. With their employment agreements expired and substantial wage arrears remaining unsettled, the crew has been left confined to the ship well beyond contractual service limits.
The matter has formally escalated across international maritime channels. A joint database administered by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) officially lists the Unity as an incident of seafarer abandonment. Records within the database confirm that on July 16, the IMO issued an urgent appeal directing relevant member administrations to intervene.
Russian Consulate General Intervenes
Parallel interventions have emerged from Russia’s diplomatic mission. A July 16 communication from the Russian Consulate General in Kolkata documented that the mariners were owed significant compensation and continued to languish at sea while awaiting transit home. The consulate formally petitioned India’s Directorate General of Shipping and the Mercantile Marine Department in Kolkata to intervene, demanding prompt wage settlements and immediate relief passage for the Russian nationals.
Ministry of External Affairs Confirms Engagement
Addressing the standoff during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that the government is fully engaged with the Russian Embassy regarding the mariners’ conditions.
Jaiswal noted that the tanker’s ongoing detention remains strictly an enforcement of the Odisha High Court’s judicial decrees, adding that Indian authorities are pursuing appropriate procedural steps to resolve the repatriation of the Russian crew.
International Protocols and Next Steps
Under established ILO protocols governing vessel abandonment, flag states, port authorities, and the home countries of stranded seafarers are expected to coordinate measures that secure humanitarian welfare and uphold international labor protections.
A decisive step toward resolving the mariners’ status is expected early next week, with the High Court of Odisha scheduled to convene a fresh hearing on their repatriation on September 21.
Original Article: India Engages Russian Embassy to Free Stranded Crew of Oil Tanker Detained Off Odisha Coast — Kalingatv