V Muraleedharan, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, in an exclusive interview to news18, said around 600 students, stuck in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, will be evacuated as the Indian embassy officials have reached nearby Poltava and advised them to be prepared to “leave at a short notice”
The MoS for External affairs said: “”Amidst heavy shelling, the Indian embassy officials have reached Poltava, which is two hours away from Sumy. We advise the students to be prepared to leave at short notice. All of them have been very brave until now, we want them to be just a bit more patient. Every single person will be brought back safely.”
India, in the wake of recent developments in the European country, had launched Operation Ganga last week to evacuate students stranded. Yesterday, the Indian government claimed that the rescue operation was in the ‘last leg’. India has successfully brought close to 17,000 students back to India until Monday morning. Another 2,000 have crossed the Ukrainian borders.
Earlier, a video of scores of Indian students gathered at open space in Sumy State University holding tricolour and making their “last” appeal said they were moving to the Russian border 600 km away and if something happens, the Indian government and embassy are responsible.
However, the foreign ministry advised Indian students in Sumy to stay put and not endanger their lives.
The Indian government, concerned about these students’ safety, said it has been in touch with Russian and Ukrainian authorities to allow its citizens to move to the Russian border or Ukraine’s western borders with Romania, Hungary and Poland.
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