Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a press conference on Wednesday that its army personnel are ready to take all appropriate steps for the repatriation of all Indian citizens from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. This information has been given by the Embassy of Russia in India. At the same time, in response, it has been said from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine that Indian students have been taken hostage in cities like Kharkiv due to Russian attacks. So Russia should stop firing and allow humanitarian corridors to be opened for people to go to a safer place. An official of the Russian Embassy in India shared the details of the press briefing of the Russian Defense Ministry. In a press briefing in Moscow, the ministry alleged that Ukrainian authorities were “forcibly” detaining a group of Indian students in Kharkiv against their wishes to go to Belgorod.
However, when asked questions in this regard, Ukraine’s Ambassador to India, Igor Polikha, vehemently denied the allegations and denied that Ukraine itself is bleeding, it is helping all the foreign students stranded in the country.
He said that we tried our best to reduce the issue of students trying to cross the western borders amidst huge influx of refugees and this problem is basically solved. As far as I know, the first batch of Indians from the western side has left Kharkiv.
On the other hand, according to the details shared by the Russian official, the Russian Defense Ministry also claimed that the Ukrainian authorities have offered the students that they can exit Ukraine through the country’s border with Poland. While the way to the Polish border is an active war zone.
Ready to take all necessary measures: Russia
As fighting in Kharkiv intensified, India on Wednesday asked its citizens to leave the second largest Ukrainian city and walk on foot if there was no means to move to three nearby safe places. Meanwhile, Russia had promised to build a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of Indian citizens from the conflict zone. The Russian Defense Ministry said that its armed forces are ready to take all necessary measures for the safe evacuation of Indian citizens.
Indian Embassy team ready
Russian Defense Ministry said that according to our information, Ukrainian authorities have forcibly detained a large group of Indian students in Kharkiv, who want to leave Ukrainian territory and go to Belgorod. According to an official, Belgorod is a border area in Russia and not far from Kharkiv. A team from the Indian Embassy in Moscow has already reached Belgorod for any possible evacuation of Indians from Kharkiv.
The ministry, ready to send them home by its planes , said the Russian side is ready to send the students back from Russian territory to their homes by its military transport planes or Indian aircraft, though it will depend on what the Indian side plans to do. India on Tuesday asked Russia to ensure safe movement of Indians from various conflict zones after an Indian student was killed in shelling in Kharkiv.
We urged to stop firing, so that people can get out safely: Ukraine.
A statement issued by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has called on the Russian military to immediately stop firing in Kharkiv and Sumy, to make arrangements for the safe evacuation of the civilian population including foreign students. Ukraine’s foreign ministry also said in the statement that there are students from India, Pakistan, China and other countries who are unable to move out due to the Russian armed forces’ indiscriminate shelling and barbaric missile attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructures.
The government of Ukraine is ready to assist the transfer of foreign students from Kharkiv and Sumy if Russia agrees to a ceasefire. Attempting to arrange the evacuation of people from these cities in the midst of Russian bombings and missile attacks could be extremely dangerous. The Ukrainian government is committed to providing all necessary assistance to foreign students, so that they can return to their home country safely.
