Picture : Twitter / ANI
India has rejected claims by both Russia and Ukraine that Indian students are being held hostage in the besieged city of Kharkiv, and said it has requested the support of Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking them out from the city and neighbouring areas.
India’s comments after a statement from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s office claimed that some Indian students were “actually taken hostage” by Ukrainian security forces, who use them as a “human shield” and in every possible way prevent them from leaving for Russian territory.
The Russian claim was mentioned in a readout issued by Kremlin following a telephonic conversation between President Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening.
Separately, the Ukrainian foreign ministry “urgently called on the governments of India, Pakistan, China and other counties whose students have become hostages of the Russian armed aggression in Kharkiv and Sumy, to demand from Moscow that it allows the opening of a humanitarian corridor to other Ukrainian cities.”
Some Indian students were stuck in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and several other conflict zones and India has asked both Russia and Ukraine to facilitate their safe passage to the border transit points for their exit to neighbouring countries.
“We have not received any report of any hostage situation regarding any student. We have requested the support of Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking out students from Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
Our response to media queries regarding reports of Indian students being held hostage in Ukraine ⬇️https://t.co/RaOFcV849D pic.twitter.com/fOlz5XsQsc
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) March 3, 2022
He said the Indian embassy in Ukraine is in continuous touch with Indian nationals in Ukraine.
“We note that with the cooperation of Ukrainian authorities, many students have left Kharkiv yesterday,” Bagchi said.
Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday spoke to Putin and discussed the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from the conflict areas in Ukraine including Kharkiv.
