(Image source from: indiatoday.in)

The Indian government has been taking all the efforts to evacuate the Indian students and the working professionals who are stranded in Ukraine. The Indian Emabassy issued an advisory asking the Indians to return back to the country at the earliest. Two Indian students passed away and the Centre is making all the efforts to bring their mortal remains back to the country. The Indian government requested for a safe passage for both Russia and Ukraine. Russia claimed that Ukraine has taken Indian students hostage. During a briefing, Russia's Ministry of Defense said that Russia has been trying hard to evacuate the Indian students from Kharkiv but Ukraine made them hostages.

Russia said that the authorities in Ukraine forcibly detained Indian students who are in a hurry to leave the country and they are forced to reach Belgorod. Russia said that they are keen to send Indians back to the country. The MFA of Ukraine said that the students of India, China and Pakistan turned hostages for Russian armed forces. "We urgently call on the governments of India, Pakistan, China and other counties whose students have become hostages of the Russian armed aggression in Kharkiv and Sumy, to demand from Moscow that it allows the opening of a humanitarian corridor to other Ukrainian cities" told the official statement of Ukraine MFA.

By Siva Kumar