India in touch with Russia over crew of detained tanker near Paradip: MEA

The Cameroon-flagged Unity has remained under detention since May following an Odisha High Court order in connection with a commercial dispute involving alleged unpaid bunker fuel dues (AI-generated image used for representational purposes)

India is in regular touch with the Russian Embassy over the welfare and repatriation of Russian crew members aboard the detained Unity oil tanker near Paradip Port in Odisha, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the tanker is currently stationed close to Paradip Port and that its detention was carried out pursuant to an order of the Odisha High Court.

"On the welfare of the Russian seafarers … this particular oil tanker is stationed close to Paradip Port in Odisha. We are aware of this particular incident, and we have been in regular touch with the Russian Embassy here," Jaiswal said during the MEA's weekly press briefing in New Delhi.

"This action has been taken, as far as the detention of the tanker is concerned, because of the orders of the Honourable High Court of Odisha. As far as the repatriation of the Russian crew is concerned, we are taking due action in that regard," he added.

The Cameroon-flagged Unity has remained under detention since May following an Odisha High Court order in connection with a commercial dispute involving alleged unpaid bunker fuel dues. The vessel is anchored around 10 km off the coast of Paradip.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO), through its joint ILO-International Maritime Organisation (IMO) database on abandoned seafarers, has recorded the Unity as an abandonment case involving Russian seafarers. The database says the vessel was under arrest at Paradip, with outstanding wages and repatriation pending.

The ILO-IMO database also records a July 16 communication from the Russian Consulate General in Kolkata, which said the employment contracts of the Russian seafarers had expired, substantial wage arrears remained outstanding, and the crew had remained on board beyond their contractual period while awaiting repatriation.

According to the Russian Consulate General in Kolkata, the tanker likely had 23 crew members, including 20 Russian nationals, one Kazakh citizen and two Egyptian citizens.