As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its seventh day yesterday, India ordered its citizens to flee Kharkiv immediately to three adjacent locations, “even on foot.” The Indian government disputed Wednesday that Indian students were being detained as “hostages” in Ukraine, saying it was in daily contact with Indian people in the war-torn country.
“We have not received reports of any hostage situation regarding any student. We have requested the support of the Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking out students from Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country,” Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement.
The Center claimed on Thursday that it had not heard of any Indians being taken captive in the conflict-torn Ukraine. The Indian embassy in Ukraine allegedly spoke with its nationals who were trapped there, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The clarification came after the Russian government stated that Ukrainian soldiers hold a large group of Indian students as “hostages” in Kharkiv, which is essentially under Russian control in eastern Ukraine.
Since Russian forces invaded last week, the 1.5-million-person city in northeast Ukraine has been one of the hardest hits by Russian bombardment, and many Indian students have struggled to flee. On Tuesday, a storm in Kharkiv claimed the life of one Indian medical student.
Published by: Khushboo Mehta
Edited By: Kritika Kashyap
