New Delhi: Expressing concern over the Indian students stranded in Sumy region in Ukraine, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday said that it has asked the students to take safety precautions, stay inside shelters and avoid unnecessary risks.
Pressing the Russian and Ukrainian governments for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for the stranded Indian nationals, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We are deeply concerned about Indian students in Sumy, Ukraine. Have strongly pressed Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for our students,” as quoted by news agency ANI.
Bagchi further said, “Have advised our students to take safety precautions, stay inside shelters and avoid unnecessary risks. Ministry and our Embassies are in regular touch with the students.”
This comes after some stranded students in Sumy region shared a video stating that they have decided to undertake a risky journey to the Russian border that is 50km from there, and that the Indian government and its embassy in Ukraine would be responsible if anything happened to them.
In the video posted from the Sumy State University campus, a large number of students could be seen standing in the snow, all packed and ready to leave. They were also seen holding several Indian flags.
"Since morning, we have been constantly listening to boarding, shelling and streetfights. We are afraid, we have waited a lot and we can't wait anymore. We are risking our lives and moving towards the border. If anything happens to us, all the responsibility will be of the government and the Indian embassy. If anything happens to anyone, Mission Ganga will be the biggest failure," NDTV quoted one of the students as saying in the video.
Another student added, "Please pray for us...This is our last video."
However, the students decided not to leave after they were contacted by the Indian embassy.
Earlier in the day, the Indian embassy in Ukraine had said that it is exploring all possible ways to safely evacuate the stranded Indian nationals from the eastern Ukranian cities of Sumy and Pisochyn. The embassy also said that it is reaching out to 298 Indian students in Pisochyn and buses are on the way to evacuate them.
Sumy is one of the conflict zones that has been witnessing intense fight between the Russian and Ukrainian forces. The Indian students currently stranded in Pisochyn had reached the city from Kharkiv following an advisory issued by the Indian embassy on earlier on Wednesday.