Modi, Putin talk: Russia says Kyiv holds students hostage, will work on way out

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 said.

At a briefing in Moscow, 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.

In New Delhi, Indian officials viewed this as a difficult situation in a conflict zone where citizens have been hunkering down in bunkers and underground shelters, and movement is prevented due to a curfew-like situation on the streets.

The Prime Minister also chaired a high-level meeting with senior ministers and officials.

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.

Russia’s ambassador-designate Denis Alipov, at a briefing in New Delhi, said Russia is working on a “humanitarian corridor” through Russian territory so that Indians have a secure passage and can be evacuated from the conflict zone in Kharkiv, Sumy and nearby areas.

“We have received an Indian request for the emergency evacuation of all those stuck there to the Russian territory and we are now actively working on the ways and means to launch an operation to provide the humanitarian corridors so that people have the secure passage to safety to the Russian territory,” he said.

On the death of the Indian student of the Kharkiv National Medical University, Alipov 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. The embassy asked Indians to proceed to settlements in Pesochyn, Babaye and Bezlyudovka as soon as possible.

Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, 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 IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft, carrying approximately 800 people from Ukraine, are slated to land at the Hindon airbase Thursday, sources 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.

In New Delhi, Alipov, responding to a question on the possible impact of Western sanctions on the S-400 missile deal, said: “As regards the S-400 deal, be rest assured that it will not be impacted in any way. It is 100 surety… As regards the overall trade and economic cooperation, we will see what will be the ultimate impact of those severe restrictions that are being imposed,” he said.

“We have bilateral mechanisms and means of doing business in national currencies. Much will depend on the readiness of Indian partners to continue the business because some of them are over-cautious with regard to their exposure to the US and European markets,” he said.

India, he said, has taken an “unbiased” position based on assessment of the situation in Ukraine and not because it is dependent on Russian arms. “We do coordinate our positions at the UN and inform India about our approach,” he said. Alipov also said: “We do everything possible to keep India up-to-date on what is happening.”