Russia-Ukraine crisis: No report of hostage situation in Ukraine, says India

The Indian government on Thursday denied reports of Indian students being held as “hostages” in Ukraine, stating that it was in constant touch with Indian nationals in Ukraine. 

“We have not received reports of any hostage situation regarding any student. We have requested support from the Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking out students from Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

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On Wednesday, Russia claimed that Ukraine had taken Indian students hostage. During a briefing, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said while Russia was trying to evacuate Indian students from Kharkiv the Ukrainian forces had taken Indians hostage.

In a statement by the ministry’s official representative, Major General Igor Konashenkov said, “According to our data, in Kharkiv, the Ukrainian authorities are forcibly detaining a large group of Indian students who want to leave the Ukrainian territory and go to Belgorod.”

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Meanwhile, the Ukraine MFA alleged that the students from India, Pakistan, China and other countries “have become hostages of the Russian armed aggression.”

Notably, the Russian ministry’s statement was released hours after a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. They reportedly discussed the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from the conflict areas.

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Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said as many as 6000 Indians have been brought back.

“Of the 20,000 Indians who were stranded in war-torn Ukraine, 6,000 have been brought back to the country so far and the Centre is making all efforts for the safe return of the remaining ones,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.