The Indian government on Thursday countered Russia’s claims that Indian students are being held hostage in Ukraine, saying they were in constant touch with all nationals and haven’t received any such report as yet.  This comes a day after Kremlin claimed that Indian students in Kharkiv had been “taken hostage” by Ukrainian security forces who were using them as “a human shield” to “prevent them from leaving for Russian territory”.3

“We have not received reports of any hostage situation regarding any student. We have requested support from the Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking out students from Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country,” India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Responding to media queries, MEA official spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, said, “Our Embassy in Ukraine is in continuous touch with Indian nationals in Ukraine. We note that with the cooperation of the Ukrainian authorities, many students have left Kharkiv yesterday. We have not received any reports of any hostage situation regarding any student.”

He added, “We have requested 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,” which is relatively safer".  It is estimated that around 4,000 Indians, mostly students in medical colleges, are stuck in the eastern and north-eastern parts of Ukraine, close to the Russian border. The Indian embassy in Ukraine had asked all Indians stranded in Kharkiv to leave the conflict zone immediately “by any means available, including on foot.”

“We have been coordinating effectively with the countries in the region including Russia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova. A large number of Indian nationals have been evacuated from Ukraine in the last few days. We appreciate the help extended by the Ukrainian authorities to make this possible. We thank Ukraine’s western neighbours in receiving Indian nationals and for accommodating them while they waited for flights to take them back home,” Bagchi said. 

Hours after its envoy to New Delhi said the Russians were working on a “humanitarian corridor” for the safe passage of stranded Indians via the Russia-Ukraine border, the Kremlin alleged that Indian students in Kharkiv had been “taken hostage” by Ukrainian security forces.

This was announced by the Russians in their readout of the phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin. However, there was no mention of this in the Indian statement. The Prime Minister’s Office said, “The leaders reviewed the situation in Ukraine, especially in the city of Kharkiv where many Indian students are stuck. They discussed the safe evacuation of the Indian nationals from the conflict areas.”

According to the Kremlin statement, “Putin stressed that all the necessary instructions had been given and that the Russian military was doing everything possible to ensure the safe removal of Indian citizens from the war zone and their return to their homeland”.

“The Russian side, in particular, is trying to organise an urgent evacuation of a group of Indian students from Kharkov (the Russian name of Kharkiv) through the humanitarian corridor along the shortest route to Russia,” it said.

“At the same time, according to the latest information, these students are actually taken hostage by the Ukrainian security forces, who use them as a human shield and in every possible way prevent them from leaving for Russian territory. Responsibility in this case lies entirely with the Kiev authorities,” it added.

At a briefing in Moscow quoted by Indian media, the Russian defence ministry too said “according to our information, Ukrainian authorities forcibly keep a large group of Indian students in Kharkiv who wish to leave Ukrainian territory and go to Belgorod.”

“In fact, they are being held as hostages and offered to leave the territory of Ukraine via Ukrainian-Polish border. They offered to go through the territory where active hostilities are taking place,” it said.

“Russian armed forces are ready to take all necessary measures for the safe evacuation of the Indian citizens. And send them home from the Russian territory with its own military transport planes or Indian planes, as the Indian side proposed to do,” the ministry said.

Russia’s claim that Indians are held hostage by Ukraine could be a bid to distance itself from the consequences of the war. This comes when it has faced all-round censure at the UN General Assembly, The Indian Express said.

On the death of the Indian student of the Kharkiv National Medical University, Russia’s ambassador-designate Denis AlipovAlipov said: “I want to express our sympathy to the family of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar and to the entire Indian nation over the tragedy… Russia will do everything it possibly can to ensure the safety of Indian citizens in the areas of intense conflict… and a proper investigation of this unfortunate incident.”

Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Ukraine asked all Indians stranded in Kharkiv to leave the conflict zone immediately.  Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said, “They should leave immediately by any means available, including on foot.” The three points, he said, have been chosen “based on Russian inputs”, and are around Kharkiv.

While Pesochyn is 11 km away, Babai is at a distance of 12 km and Bezlyudovka 16 km. “For their safety and security, they must leave Kharkiv immediately. Proceed to Pesochyn, Babaye and Bezlyudovka as soon as possible,” the embassy said. “Under all circumstances, they must reach these settlements by 1800 hours (Ukrainian time) today,” it said.

Later, the embassy reiterated the advisory with a tone of urgency: “For their own safety and security, they must leave Kharkiv immediately repeat immediately in the light of the deteriorating situation. They should proceed to Pesochin, Babaye and Bezlyudovka as soon as possible for their safety. Those students who cannot find vehicles or buses and are in railway station can proceed on foot. Proceed immediately. Under all circumstances, Indians must reach these settlements by 6 pm Ukrainian Time today (9.30 pm IST).”

Four Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft, carrying approximately 800 people from Ukraine, are landing at the Hindon airbase outside Delhi Thursday, The Indian Express said. On Wednesday morning, a C-17 aircraft left for Romania carrying humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

An Indian team has been positioned in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border. Kharkiv is about 40 km from the Ukraine-Russia border, and another team of Indian embassy officials is trying to reach Kharkiv from Kyiv to help with the evacuation.

(SAM)