'Make Use Of This Opportunity': Embassy Advisory To Indians In Ukraine On Humanitarian Corridors

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: The embassy said the establishment of the next humanitarian corridor was uncertain and asked Indian citizens to leave immediately.

India has expressed concern over safe return of Indian students stranded in the Ukrainian city of Sumy (Getty Images)

New Delhi: The Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked the stranded Indians in war-ravaged Ukraine to make use of the humanitarian corridors and leave the country using trains or vehicles or any other available means of transport.

The embassy said the establishment of the next humanitarian corridor was uncertain and asked Indian citizens to leave immediately.

"The humanitarian corridor for evacuation of stranded people has been announced in various parts of Ukraine from 10.00 hours on March 8, 2022. Considering the security situation, establishment of the next humanitarian corridor is uncertain," the embassy said in an advisory on Tuesday.

"All stranded Indian nationals are urged to make use of this opportunity and evacuate using trains/vehicles or any other available means of transport giving due consideration to safety," the advisory further said.

The Russian Defence Ministry on Tuesday announced the opening of humanitarian corridors from five Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Chernigov, Sumy, Kharkov, Mariupol for civilian evaciation, Sputnik News reported.

While India has brought back over 17,000 of its nationals from Ukraine so far, students remained stuck in the northeastern city of Sumy due to heavy artillery fire by Russian forces. Their evacuation was dependent on the facilitation of a safe passage by Russian and Ukrainian authorities.

READ | 694 Indian Students Stranded In Sumy Have Left For Poltava In Buses, Says Hardeep Puri

On Tuesday, Union minister Hardeep Singh Singh Puri said the evacuation process for Indian students stranded in Sumy had started and they were being been taken in buses to Poltava.

"Last night, I checked with the control room, 694 Indian students were remaining in Sumy. Today, they have all left in buses for Poltava," PTI quoted Puri as saying.

The development comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and sought their support in the safe and quick evacuation of the Indian students stuck in Sumy city.