Indian students killed in war in Kharkiv

rezaul.laskar@htlive.com

India on Tuesday confirmed the death of an Indian student in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which was hit by intense shelling, and demanded that Russia and Ukraine provide safe passage to their citizens stranded in conflict zones.

News of the tragedy came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the Indian Air Force to join the ongoing efforts to evacuate thousands of Indians from conflict-torn Ukraine, officials familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity.

“With deep sadness, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in the shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The ministry is in touch with his family. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet, “We express our deepest condolences to the family.

As of Monday, an estimated 12,000 Indians were still stranded in Ukraine, while some 2,000 were brought out through an evacuation program called Operation Ganga.

Officials said the IAF has kept its C-17 Globemaster III fleet on standby to undertake any mission.

“Leveraging the capabilities of the IAF will ensure that more people are evacuated in less time. It will also help distribute humanitarian aid more efficiently. The IAF is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft from today as part of Operation Ganga,” said one of the officials cited above.

The IAF operates a fleet of 11 C-17 transport aircraft purchased from the US in a government-to-government deal worth around $4.5 billion. “The IAF is ready for any need to evacuate our citizens from Ukraine,” an IAF official said.

India reiterated its demand for Russia and Ukraine to ensure safety and safe passage for Indian nationals stranded in conflict zones, mostly in eastern and southern Ukraine. This demand was first made by Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla during separate meetings with the ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine on Sunday.

“The Foreign Secretary is calling on the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate our demand for immediate safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other conflict zone cities,” Bagchi said in a second tweet.

“Similar actions are also being taken by our ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine,” he said.

Before the official confirmation, several Indian students in Kharkiv had posted on social media that a student, believed to be from Karnataka, had died while going out to collect food. Several videos posted on social media showed shelling at various places in Kharkiv, including an area near Kharkiv National Medical University (KNMU), which houses several Indian students.

There are different estimates for the total number of Indian students in Kharkiv, which range from 2,000 to 4,000. Since the closure of the country’s airspace on February 24, Indians and other foreigners have been unable to leave most cities in eastern Ukraine, including Kharkiv and Sumy. Rail and public transport services have also been disrupted in the eastern region.

Although an Indian team has been deployed in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border, to facilitate evacuation from Kharkiv and surrounding cities, conflict in that region has been a hindrance, the person said. “Therefore, it is imperative that Russia and Ukraine respond immediately to our need for a safe passage,” said a person with knowledge of the matter.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Indian embassy in Kyiv advised all Indians in the Ukrainian capital to “immediately” leave the city by train or any other means in the wake of reports of a 64-km long Russian military convoy moving towards the region. Give.

“All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv immediately today. Preferably by available trains or any other available means,” the embassy said in a brief advisory posted on Twitter.

Maxar Technologies’ satellite imagery of the Russian military convoy heading to Kyiv showed that it spanned approximately 64 km. Monday’s imagery showed the convoy included hundreds of armored vehicles, tanks, towed artillery and logistics vehicles. NDTV reported that the Indian embassy in Kyiv is closed and ambassadors and staff are moving to the western part of the country.