India debunks Russia's claims, says 'not received any reports of any hostage situation in Ukraine'

The government of India, on Thursday, said that the Indian embassy in Ukraine is in continuous touch with its stranded citizens, adding that it has not received any reports of students being held hostage in the war-hit country.

The government's remarks came in response to media queries after the claims of the Russian embassy in India on Wednesday that the Indian students have been taken hostage by Ukrainian security forces to use them as a human shield. Refuting the reports of Indian students being held hostage, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed that many students left Kharkiv yesterday with the cooperation of Ukrainian authorities.

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"We have not received any reports of any hostage situation regarding any student. We have requested for the support of the Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for evacuating students from Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country," he added. Bagchi further said that the MEA has been coordinating effectively with the countries in the region, including Russia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova, and expressed gratitude towards Ukrainian authorities for their help in the evacuation of Indians.

Notably, the Russian embassy in India on Wednesday wrote in a tweet, "According to the latest information, these students are actually taken hostage by the Ukrainian security forces, who use them as a human shield and in every possible way prevent them from leaving for Russia. Responsibility, in this case, lies entirely with the Kyiv authorities."

So far, a total of 17,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since the advisories were issued and flights under 'Operation Ganga' have been increased to facilitate the evacuation of remaining students stranded in Ukraine.