E-Paper
No report of hostage situation: India on Russia, Ukraine's allegations
To Russia's claims that Indian students are held hostage by Ukrainian authorities in Kharkiv, the government on Thursday said it has no such information. Ukraine also alleged that Indians are held hostage by Russian troops.
The ministry of external affairs on Thursday said it has not received any reports of a hostage situation regarding any student in Ukraine after the Russian Embassy in India claimed that Indian students are being held as hostages in Ukraine. The official spokesperson of the ministry, Arindam Bagchi said the Indian embassy in Ukraine is in continuous touch with the 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. 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," the MEA statement said.
Follow live updates of Russia-Ukraine crisis
"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," the ministry said clarifying on Russia's claims.
India was caught in the crossfire of Russia and Ukraine with both Russia and Ukraine alleging that Indians have been held hostage, putting the blame on the other. At 12.18am on Thursday, both Ukraine and Russia made the hostage claim.
The Russian defence ministry on Wednesday claimed the Ukrainian authorities forcibly kept a large group of Indian students who wanted to leave Kharkiv 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," Russia's defence ministry claimed.
Russia also said its armed forces are ready to assist India for safe evacuation of the Indian citizens by taking them to Russian territory as well.
Ukraine, on the other hand, claimed that foreign nationals are held hostage by Russian troops in Kharkiv. "We urgently call 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," the foreign ministry of Ukraine said.
The development comes as India is taking measured steps to react to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, abstaining from UNGA resolution against Russia yet calling for an immediate ceasefire.
