Ram Chandra had joined the merchant navy recently and was on only his second overseas assignment, having left for duty in September last year.

A routine call home has turned into an agonising wait for a family in Uttar Pradesh. Twenty-two-year-old merchant navy sailor Ram Chandra Dubey from Prayagraj has been missing for six days after the commercial vessel he was serving on came under a drone attack near Ukraine’s Odesa port.

Despite rescue efforts and repeated appeals to authorities, there has been no sign of the young sailor since the July 25 attack.

Last Call Home Before Disaster

Ram Chandra, a resident of Nibi Kala village in Jhunsi, Prayagraj, is the younger son of retired serviceman Ramesh Chandra Dubey. He had joined the merchant navy recently and was on only his second overseas assignment, having left for duty in September last year.

His family says he last spoke to his mother, Kalpana Dubey, on the night of July 24. During the conversation, he told her that his ship had departed from Ukraine.

Less than 24 hours later, the vessel was caught in a drone strike as it approached Odesa.

Crew Jumped Into the Sea

According to information shared by the shipping company, there were eight people aboard the merchant vessel, including four Indian crew members.

As the attack unfolded, the Indian sailors jumped into the sea in an attempt to escape. Ukrainian rescue teams launched an immediate search operation and managed to rescue two of the Indian crew members.

However, Ram Chandra Dubey and another Indian national remain missing.

Family Rushes To Delhi

Ram Chandra’s sister, Seemakshi, and brother-in-law, Anuj Kumar Pandey, first tried to gather information locally. But with no clear answers, Ram Chandra’s elder brother, Krishna Das Dubey, travelled to Delhi with other family members on July 27 to meet officials from the shipping company.

The company assured them that every possible effort is being made to locate the missing sailor. But so far, there have been no confirmed leads.

With hope fading but not lost, the family has approached the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of External Affairs, urging the government to intervene through Ukrainian authorities and international agencies to trace the missing crew members.

Another young sailor from Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli is also reported to be among those still missing after the attack.

Government Monitoring The Situation

The Ministry of External Affairs has acknowledged the incident, while the Indian Embassy in Kyiv said it is closely monitoring developments following the attack on merchant vessel MV AGN Ragnar at the port of Odesa.

According to the embassy, four Indian nationals were on board the ship. Two have been confirmed safe, while authorities are continuing to gather information about the remaining two.

Dubey’s family remain in constant touch with government officials, hoping the young sailor who spoke to his mother just hours before the attack will somehow be found alive.