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By PTI
NEW DELHI: India on Friday sought ceasefire by Russian and Ukrainian troops for evacuation of its citizens from the conflict zones of Kharkiv and Sumy in eastern Ukraine and said it is yet to see any movement in implementation of the decision by the two sides to create safe corridors for the exit of civilians.
Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said that around 300 Indians are stranded in Kharkiv and 700 are in Sumy, while some citizens out of over 900 are being taken out of Pisochyn in five buses.
At a media briefing, he said over 20,000 Indians have left Ukraine since India issued initial advisories in mid-February before the conflict began and that over 10,300 citizens were brought back in 48 flights under evacuation mission ‘Operation Ganga’ so far.
Bagchi said Indian student Harjot Singh, who received bullet injuries in Kyiv, is safe and undergoing treatment at a hospital, adding the Indian government will pay for his medical treatment.
He said India is primarily focusing on evacuating its nationals out of the conflict zones in eastern Ukraine including from Kharkiv and Sumy, adding that the total number of Indians stuck in Ukraine could be roughly in the range of 2,000 to 3,000.
To a question on Russian media reports that five Indian students were injured in a conflict zone on Thursday and the whereabouts of 11 others are not known, Bagchi said India does not have any such information.
Asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments on some Indians being held hostage by Ukrainian forces, the MEA spokesperson once again rejected the claim saying India does not have any such information or reports.
On Thursday too, Bagchi rejected claims by both Russia and Ukraine that Indian students are being held hostage in Kharkiv.
In the briefing, he also said that India has evacuated one Bangladeshi national as part of its mission to bring back the stranded Indians.
Bagchi said India was in touch with all parties concerned on the evacuation of the Indians and sought “local ceasefire” in the conflict zones to get them out of the areas witnessing fighting and violence.
The spokesperson also said that India has not seen any movement after it emerged that Russia and Ukraine on Thursday agreed to the need for the creation of humanitarian corridors to help civilians leave the conflict zones.
“We have not seen anything further to that in terms of implementation of the same on the ground. We are closely and eagerly monitoring that,” he said.
“If that happens, it will certainly help our process. We have been asking for a cessation of hostilities by both sides. Local ceasefire or whatever works to get our people out of the conflict zones,” Bagchi said.
Asked about Russian reports that Moscow has arranged 130 buses for evacuation of Indians from eastern Ukrainian cities, Bagchi said the buses are around 50-60 km away from where the students are.
“They are frankly too far away. We do not see a safe and secure way to reach them. I would appeal and urge the parties concerned to have a local ceasefire at least so that the students can go to the buses,” he said.
“We don’t want the students to cross through a place where they are at risk. Anything can happen in a war zone, so we always want a safe route for our students. We have told both sides publicly that there should be a local ceasefire so we can get our students out,” he said.
According to media reports from Moscow, Russian authorities have arranged 130 buses to take stranded Indians from Kharkiv and Sumy to the Russian city of Belgorod.
Bagchi suggested that the Russian side should come with the buses and take the students.
On whether an IL-76 transport aircraft is being put on standby for evacuation of Indians from the Russian side, Bagchi, without giving a specific reply said, “All are in readiness.”
“The core problem is how we get the students from where they are to the buses which are far away,” he said.
Bagchi said around 20,000 Indians have left Ukraine’s borders since India issued its first travel advisories in mid-February.
He suggested that it has now emerged that the total number of Indians in Ukraine was more than the 20,000 citizens who had registered with the embassy in Kyiv.
He said 15 flights landed in India as part of the evacuation mission during the last 24 hours, bringing back more than 3,000 nationals.
The spokesperson said 16 flights are scheduled for the next 24 hours.
Over 10,300 Indians brought back in 48 flights under evacuation mission ‘Operation Ganga’ so far, he added.
The MEA spokesperson said India will continue with the operation until the last citizen is taken out of Ukraine.
Budget carrier AirAsia India on Friday said it is operating an evacuation flight from Suceava city in Romania to fly back stranded Indians from the war-hit Ukraine.
AirAsia India’s maiden rescue flight under Operation Ganga, has departed from Suceava to Delhi carrying over 170 guests safely, the airline said on Friday.
“The flight departed to Delhi from Suceava at 6.30 pm (local time) and it is being operated via Dubai. It is expected to arrive in Delhi at 4.30 am (on Saturday), subject to ATC approval,” an AirAsia India spokesperson said.
The Bengaluru-headquartered carrier, in which Tata Group owns 83.6 per cent stake, and Malaysian airliner group AirAsia the rest 16.33 per cent, also said it is looking to operate few more evacuation flights.
“While there are other flights that are being planned, they are all subject to requirement of the External Affairs Ministry and can only be chartered a day in advance,” he said.
India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine’s western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to a Russian military offensive.
Apart from civilian flights, which have so far been operated by Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Go First and SpiceJet, Indian Air Force helping the government in bringing back the stranded Indians from Ukraine.
According to the MEA, 15 flights landed in India during the past 24 hours, flying back 3,000 Indian nationals while 16 flights are scheduled for the next 24 hours.
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