The Indian government made an urgent all-caps call to its people to leave Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, as soon as possible as the Russian government made gains in Ukraine.
During an increasing attack on Ukraine on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Ukrainian soldiers are holding a large group of Indian students as “hostages” in Kharkiv.
“According to our knowledge, Ukrainian authorities are forcefully detaining a big number of Indian students in Kharkiv who desire to leave Ukrainian territory and travel to Belgorod,” a Russian military spokesman stated at a press conference.
“They are, in reality, being kept as hostages… Russia’s armed forces are prepared to take all necessary steps to ensure the safe escape of Indian people. And, as the Indian side suggested, send them home from Russian territory using its own military transport planes or Indian jets “Added he.
The Russian assertion came only days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, where over a thousand Indian students were claimed to be stuck.
According to official sources, Kharkiv is practically under Russia’s control, and the girl students have already been despatched on their way to Ukraine’s western border by train — a 20-hour trek — with Russian assistance.
Sources indicated soon before the 6 p.m. deadline that efforts were being made to evacuate the boys as well.
The Indian government made an urgent all-caps request to its people to leave Ukraine’s second-largest city earlier in the day, based on first-hand accounts of students trapped at the railway station.
Many students began trekking to one of the three areas identified by the Indian government between 11 and 16 kilometres away after being kicked, threatened, and denied access to trains departing the city.
Kharkiv, which is located in the eastern section of the city near Russia’s border, has been under siege since the invasion began, and the strikes have escalated in the last two days. Since the crisis began, at least two Indian students have died, one in Russian shelling and the other in a hospital while being treated for an illness.
