Indian college students in Kharkiv complained of nice issue in leaving town.
New Delhi:
Ukrainian forces are protecting a big group of Indian college students as “hostages” in Kharkiv, the Russian Defence Ministry has alleged, amid an escalating assault on the nation on Wednesday.
“In accordance with our info, Ukrainian authorities are forcibly protecting a big group of Indian college students in Kharkiv who want to go away Ukrainian territory and go to Belgorod,” a Russian army spokesperson stated at a briefing.
“The truth is, they’re being held as hostages… Russian armed forces are able to take all crucial measures for the protected evacuation of the Indian residents. And ship them dwelling from the Russian territory with its personal army transport planes or Indian planes, because the Indian aspect proposed to do,” he added.
The startling declare by the Russians got here not lengthy after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and mentioned the state of affairs within the japanese Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv, the place over a thousand Indian college students had been stated to be stranded.
Kharkiv is nearly beneath Russian management and the lady college students have already been despatched on their technique to Ukraine’s western border by prepare — a 20-hour journey — with the assistance of Russians, authorities sources instructed NDTV.
Efforts are on to evacuate the boys additionally, sources stated shortly earlier than the 6 pm deadline was about to run out.
Earlier within the day, first-hand accounts of scholars stranded on the railway station gave a glimpse into their determined state of affairs because the Indian authorities issued an pressing all-caps enchantment to its residents to right away go away Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis.
College students complained of being kicked, intimidated and never being let on trains leaving town, prompting many to begin strolling in the direction of one of many three places specified by the Indian authorities between 11 and 16 km away.
Situated within the japanese a part of town near the Russian border, Kharkiv has been going through intense assaults because the invasion began they usually have intensified over the previous two days. Not less than two Indian college students have died because the battle started – one in Russian shelling and one other in a hospital whereas being handled for an sickness.