Vellarikkundu (Kerala): Kasaragod District Collector Arjun Pandian said on Tuesday that there is no definite timeline yet regarding how many days it will take to bring back the mortal remains of 26-year-old Merchant Navy officer Akhil Joyan. He was among four Indian seafarers killed in a missile strike on the commercial cargo ship MV Golden Leo off Ukraine's Odesa coast.

Speaking to reporters, Pandian mentioned that the district administration is actively working alongside the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) Department, the Indian Embassy, and relevant agencies to return Joyan's body to Kerala as quickly as possible.
 

"We are coordinating with the NORKA department and embassy to bring back the body of Akhil Joyan as early as possible. So we are in touch with them. The government will take all the necessary actions to bring back his body. The government will bear all the expenses and will be coordinating everything. We didn't get the correct information on how many days it will take. But we are taking all the necessary action to bring it back as early as possible," Pandian said.

Footage from Joyan's home in Kasaragod's Vellarikkundu showed grieving family members and relatives gathering to mourn the young officer, whose sudden demise has deeply saddened the local community.
 

Details of the attack and official MEA response

Four Indian citizens lost their lives in an attack in Ukraine on Sunday evening, while another remains in critical condition in hospital.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the casualties in a formal statement, indicating that the ship had 17 crew members on board, including 5 Indians, when the assault took place.

"On the evening of July 19, 2026, the vessel MV GOLDEN LEO was attacked while departing the port of Odesa. At the time of the incident, there were 17 crew members on board, including 5 Indian nationals. As per information available, four Indian nationals have tragically lost their lives, while one is hospitalised in a critical condition," the MEA stated earlier.

The MEA offered its condolences to the grieving families and confirmed that the Indian diplomatic mission in Ukraine is actively keeping track of developments to ensure support for all affected individuals.

PTI