Deeply concerned about Indian students in Ukraine’s Sumy: MEA


Team Udayavani, Mar 5, 2022, 7:26 PM IST

Source: MSN

New Delhi: India on Saturday said it has ”strongly pressed” the Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe passage for the Indian students stuck in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the students have been advised to take safety precautions such as staying inside shelters and to avoid taking unnecessary risks and that the government is ”deeply concerned about them”.

On Friday, he put the number of Indian students stranded in Sumy, which is nearly 60 kilometers from the Russian border, at around 700.

The students have been sending SOS messages and posting videos on social media platforms, pleading for their urgent evacuation from the conflict zone as the city is witnessing fighting and airstrikes.

”We are deeply concerned about Indian students in Sumy, Ukraine. Have strongly pressed Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for our students,” Bagchi tweeted on Saturday.

”Have advised our students to take safety precautions, stay inside shelters and avoid unnecessary risks,” he said.

Bagchi said the MEA and Indian embassies are in regular touch with the students.

The students have been staying in the hostels of the Medical Institute of Sumy State University.

India’s comments came on a day the Russian defense ministry announced a temporary ceasefire around the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha from 9 am to 4 pm local time (07:00-14:00 GMT).

However, no temporary ceasefire was announced for cities where several hundred Indians have been stranded, including Kharkiv and Sumy.

India has been urging both Russia and Ukraine to create safe corridors for the evacuation of its nationals from the conflict zones in eastern Ukraine.

Separately, the Indian embassy in Ukraine said three buses have reached Pisochyn and will shortly be making their way to western Ukraine, carrying the stranded students from the area, which is around 11 km from Kharkiv.

It said on Twitter that two more buses will be arriving soon.

Earlier in the day, the embassy said it is exploring all possible ways to safely evacuate the Indian nationals from Sumy and Pisochyn.

It specifically said it is reaching out to 298 Indian students in Pisochyn and buses are being arranged to evacuate them.

The mission also said it is in touch with all the interlocutors concerned, including the Red Cross, to identify the exit routes to take out the Indians from Sumy.

”Exploring all possible mechanisms to evacuate Indian citizens in Sumy, safely & securely. Discussed evacuation & identification of exit routes with all interlocutors including Red Cross,” it said.

”Control room will continue to be active until all our citizens are evacuated. Be Safe Be Strong,” it added.

The Indian students stuck in Pisochyn had reached there from Kharkiv following an advisory issued by the embassy on Wednesday.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

If you play good cricket, you don’t need PR: MS Dhoni

No one can ever stop Taiwan’s reunification with China, says President Xi in his New Year message

New Year’s greetings with an artificial but intelligent twist

Disappointed over ‘failure’ of Centre, Manipur govt to resolve crisis: Cong leader

IOA chief PT Usha recognises golf body headed by Harish Reddy

Delhi Police nabs 2 weapon suppliers based on arrested robbers’ confession

CRPF DG Anish Dayal Singh retires, Vitul Kumar to lead force as acting chief

Related Articles More

Disappointed over ‘failure’ of Centre, Manipur govt to resolve crisis: Cong leader

Delhi Police bust online investment fraud syndicate, 5 held

IOA chief PT Usha recognises golf body headed by Harish Reddy

Delhi Police nabs 2 weapon suppliers based on arrested robbers’ confession

CRPF DG Anish Dayal Singh retires, Vitul Kumar to lead force as acting chief

MUST WATCH

Tulunadu Daivaradane

Feeding Birds with Creative Paddy Art!

Areca Nut

HOTEL SRI DURGA BHAVANA

Harish Poonja


Latest Additions

If you play good cricket, you don’t need PR: MS Dhoni

No one can ever stop Taiwan’s reunification with China, says President Xi in his New Year message

Honnavar: Tragic road accident claims three young lives

Mangaluru: Concern over relocation of Srinivas Mallya statue for NH widening

Udupi: Handloom saree exhibition and sale at Rajangana from January 1 to 15

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.