Leave Kharkiv under all circumstances tonight: Embassy to all Indian citizens

After Moscow alerted New Delhi about an imminent no-holds-barred offensive to be launched by the Russian Army to take Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, India on Wednesday asked its citizens stranded in the city to leave immediately towards three other towns in the war-torn East European country.

Hundreds of Indians – mostly students – have been stranded in Kharkiv, Sumy and other cities in eastern Ukraine ever since the country came under attack from Russia early on February 24. A 21-year-old medical student, Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, was killed in front of a grocery store due to shelling by Russian Armed Forces on Tuesday.

The Embassy of India in Kyiv issued an “urgent advisory” at around 1:30 pm (Ukraine Time) on Wednesday, asking the stranded Indians – mostly students – to immediately leave Kharkiv and, if vehicles are not available, start walking towards Pesochyn, Babai and Bezlyudivka, three settlements located nearly 11-16 kilometres away.

“Proceed immediately. Under all circumstances, Indians must reach these settlements by 6 pm (Ukraine Time) today,” the embassy told students in the advisory.

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It stated that all Indians must leave Kharkiv “immediately, repeat immediately” in the light of the “deteriorating situation” and “for their own safety and security”.

Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), later told journalists in New Delhi that India had issued the advisory and asked its citizens stranded in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine to leave immediately on the basis of inputs received from Russia. He, however, declined to elaborate on the nature of the inputs India received from Russia.

A source in New Delhi, however, told DH that the Ministry of Defence of the Russian government had alerted the Embassy of India in Moscow about the possibility of a major military operation being launched to fully capture Kharkiv by the late hours on Wednesday or in the early hours on Thursday.

New Delhi has been asking Moscow to ensure urgent safe passage for Indians stranded in eastern Ukraine. After the death of Naveen in Kharkiv on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla once again called in Russia’s ambassador-designate to India, Denis Alipov, to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi and reiterated the demand.

Kharkiv has been witnessing intense fighting between the Russian Army advancing from the east and the Ukrainian Army trying to hold on to the second largest city of the East European nation. The paratroopers of the Russian Armed Forces purportedly landed in and around Kharkiv early on Wednesday. Besides, Russia is also sending additional troops towards eastern Ukraine, apparently preparing for a major offensive to take the city.

Also Read | Working on providing safe passage to Indians stranded in Ukraine, says Russia

India has a large number of citizens – mostly medical students – stranded in eastern Ukraine.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in New Delhi over the past few days evacuated a large number of Indians from western Ukraine through neighbouring Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovak Republic, it could not help the ones stranded in Kharkiv, Sumy and other places in the war-torn eastern region of the country, due to intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

It was after the death of Naveen in Kharkiv on Tuesday that the Government of India decided to prioritise evacuation of citizens from the city.

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