Russia provides buses for Indians leaving Kharkiv-Sumy regions of Ukraine

One hundred and thirty buses are prepared to evacuate Indian students and other foreigners who are stuck in the war-torn regions of Kharkiv and Sumy, in Ukraine, PTI reported a top Russian military general saying, Thursday. These buses will arrive at Russia’s Belgorod Region. 

These remarks come from Russian National Defence Control Center head Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from conflict regions in Ukraine. 

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Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, on Tuesday, noted that around 8,000 Indians remain stranded in Ukraine, of whom half are in safe areas, but nearly 4,000 are in the Kharkiv-Sumy regions. 

Mizintsev said, as per the Russian state-owned TASS agency, “A total of 130 comfortable buses are ready to depart to Kharkov and Sumy from the Nekhoteyevka and Sudzha checkpoints in the Belgorod Region since 6 AM today in order to Rescue Indian students and citizens of other foreign states”. 

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He also noted that arrangements had been made for rest and temporary accommodation at certain checkpoints. The refugees will receive hot meals and mobile clinics have been set up to supply medicines, Mizintsev stated. 

Further, the general added, “The evacuees will be then transported to the city of Belgorod for subsequent departure to their homeland by air, including via Russian military airplanes”. 

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While India has been conducting its own evacuation process, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) taking charge recently, the nation asked Russia for safe passage of Indians from Ukraine’s conflict zones, PTI reported. Notably, an Indian pursuing MBBS has already been killed due to shelling in Kharkiv. When India sounded an urgent alarm for nationals to evacuate Kharkiv, they faced problems with Ukrainian troops. Reports earlier emerged that the situation of Indians stuck in Ukraine was bad, with many hiding out in bunkers.