Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone. The leaders reviewed the situation in Ukraine, especially in Kharkiv where many Indian students are stuck. They also discussed the safe evacuation of the Indian nationals from the conflict areas.
"The leaders reviewed the situation in Ukraine, especially in the city of Kharkiv where many Indian students are stuck. They discussed the safe evacuation of the Indian nationals from the conflict areas," the PMO statement said.
The prime minister has been speaking to the leaders of several countries sharing his concerns regarding the crisis in Ukraine. On Monday, PM Modi spoke with Slovakian counterpart Eduard Heger while on Tuesday he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Council Charles Michel and Polish President Andrzej Duda and shared his concerns over the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
Earlier today, the Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis as India stepped up its efforts to evacuate its citizens, mostly students, from the country under attack from Russia. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Cabinet colleague Piyush Goyal besides senior officials attended the meeting.
Embassy urges Indians to leave Kharkiv
Meanwhile, in an urgent advisory, the Indian embassy in Ukraine asked the Indians to reach the Ukrainian towns of Pesochyn, 11 km away from Kharkiv, Babai (12 km) and Bezlyudivka (16 km) by 6 PM local time (9:30 PM IST). The advisory came amid Russia stepping up attacks on key Ukrainian cities and a day after an Indian medical student died in shelling in Kharkiv.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing that the Indian embassy asked the nationals to leave Kharkiv immediately on the basis of information from the Russian side.
"The students who cannot find vehicles or buses and are in Railway station can proceed on foot to Pesochyn, Babai and Bezlydivka," the advisory, second of the day, said
"Proceed immediately. Under all circumstances, Indians must reach these settlements by 1800 hours (Ukrainian time) today," it said.
(With inputs from agencies)
