It was the third telephone conversation between Putin and Prime Minister Modi since the start of the war in Ukraine. (File)
Moscow:
Russian President Vladimir Putin assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday that his troops are doing everything they can to evacuate the stranded Indian civilians, mostly students, from the war-torn eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, his office said.
During the 50-minute telephone conversation, Prime Minister Modi expressed his “deep concern” for the safety and security of the Indian students detained in the city of Sumy and sought their evacuation as soon as possible.
About 700 Indian students are stranded in Sumy amid fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces and India has urged both sides to create a “humanitarian corridor” for their safe evacuation.
President Putin said in a phone call with Prime Minister Modi that Russian military personnel are doing everything they can to evacuate Indian citizens from Sumy, state news agency TASS reported, citing the Kremlin.
“It has been noted that the Indian students detained by the radicals in Kharkov only managed to leave the city as a result of strong international pressure on the Kiev authorities,” the Kremlin claimed.
“Russian soldiers are doing everything they can to ensure the evacuation of Indian citizens from the city of Sumy,” it said.
Prime Minister Modi thanked the Russian side “for the measures taken to ensure the return of his compatriots to their homeland,” it added.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi on Saturday that India’s main focus is now on evacuating the students from Sumy, and that the safe exit of Indians from Kharkiv and Pisochyn is nearing completion.
“We are deeply concerned about Indian students in Sumy, Ukraine. We have strongly urged the Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for our students,” the statement said. Mr Bagchi.
Mr Bagchi also said the main challenge remains the ongoing shelling and violence in Sumy and the lack of transport.
Last week, the Indian students in Sumy posted videos saying that they have decided to leave for the Russian border and that the Indian government and the embassy in Ukraine are responsible if anything happens to them.
After the embassy’s assurances, the students left the eastern Ukrainian city where fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops has taken place.
Putin told Prime Minister Modi that Ukrainian nationalists “continue to prevent the withdrawal of civilians from danger zones,” the Kremlin said.
“Vladimir Putin informed the Prime Minister of India that, given the deteriorating humanitarian situation, the Russian armed forces announced today the introduction of a regime of silence and the opening of humanitarian corridors,” it said.
Asked about Putin’s comments on Thursday that some Indians are being held hostage by Ukrainian forces, Mr Bagchi on Friday again dismissed the claim, saying India has no such information or reports.
Also on Thursday, Mr Bagchi rejected claims by both Russia and Ukraine that Indian students are being held hostage in Kharkiv.
It was the third telephone call between the two leaders after the military conflict began in Ukraine on February 24.
According to officials in New Delhi, India has returned nearly 16,000 of its nationals in 76 flights as part of the “Operation Ganga” mission, launched on February 26 following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.
India has urged both the Russian and Ukrainian authorities to create safe passage for the students to move either to the Russian border or to western Ukraine before departing for Romania, Hungary or Poland.
Prime Minister Modi has expressed deep concern about the ongoing conflict and ensuing humanitarian crisis and reiterated his call for an immediate end to the violence.
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