All Indian students stranded in Sumy moved out, says MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a tweet also said that the Indian students will be moved to the western Ukrainian border and that flights under Operation Ganga are being readied to bring them home.

“Happy to inform that we have been able to move out all Indian students from Sumy. They are currently en route to Poltava, from where they will board trains to western Ukraine. Flights under #OperationGanga are being prepared to bring them home,” he said.

Earlier, Puneet Singh Chandhok, an activist and president of the Indian World Forum, said in a tweet that the Indian Embassy in Kyiv and the Red Cross Ukraine chapter are moving the 700-odd Indian students to Poltava, in central Ukraine today.

“Good wishes to stranded #IndiansInUkraine at #Sumy. Praying for their safe and early return. Great that @IndiainUkraine with @RedCrossUkraine has been able to facilitate them today under #OperationGanga. Glad to note all are enroute to #Poltava. God bless all those assisting them,” he said.

The development comes as Russia on Tuesday again announced a ceasefire for opening humanitarian corridors from Kiev, Chernigov, Sumy, Kharkov and Mariupol.

The evacuation of Indian students comes a day after PM Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to appeal for their help in evacuating the Indians stuck in Sumy, in eastern Ukraine where large scale fighting is going on.

India had also raised the issue at the UNSC on Monday and voiced deep concern that despite its repeated urgings to both Russia and Ukraine, the safe corridor for Indian students stranded in Sumy did not materialise.

On Monday, the students could not move out as the humanitarian corridors did not materialise despite Russia offering a local ceasefire.

In another development, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv on Tuesday urged all Indian nationals to make use of the humanitarian corridor announced and evacuate Ukraine, using any available means of transport, while giving due consideration to safety.

The Embassy also said that considering the security situation, the announcement of the next humanitarian corridor is uncertain.

“The humanitarian corridor for evacuation of stranded people has been announced in various parts of Ukraine from 1000 hours on March 8, 2022. Considering the security situation, establishment of the next humanitarian corridor is uncertain," the Embassy said in a statement.

“All stranded Indian nationals are urged to make use of this opportunity and evacute, using trains/vehicles or any other available means of transport giving due consideration to safety,” it said.