NEW DELHI: As the Russian invasion of Kiev began its seventh day, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement clarifying that there was no hostage situation in Ukraine.
"Our Embassy in Ukraine is in regular contact with Indian nationals in Ukraine," Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement in response to "media questions regarding claims of Indian students being kept prisoner in Ukraine." We note that, thanks to Ukrainian authorities' collaboration, a large number of students departed Kharkiv yesterday (Wednesday)."
We have not received any reports of any student being held hostage. We've asked the Ukrainian government for help in organising special trains to transport students from Kharkiv and surrounding districts to the western half of the country. Russia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova are among the countries in the region with which we have successfully coordinated. In the previous several days, a substantial number of Indian nationals have been evacuated from Ukraine, and "we appreciate the assistance provided by the Ukrainian authorities in making this possible."
We express our gratitude to Ukraine's western neighbours for hosting Indian people and accommodating them as they awaited planes back home." The announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Ukraine, particularly in Kharkiv, where many Indian students are trapped.
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