India urges for ceasefire to help bring out its students from Kharkiv, Sumy

safe zone where around 1,000 Indian students had gone from Kharkiv, five busloads of students have left so far. He said that around 300 students are estimated to be remaining in Kharkiv, and more than 700 in Sumy, both of which are conflict zones. “We have managed to get five buses in Pesochyn. Yesterday two buses left, taking the students to Lviv (on the west) and today three buses left, for the Moldovan border,” he added. “We are looking at whatever ways to get them out to a safe zone. A couple of more buses are expected later in the evening and tomorrow. We have seen messages from many people who are there, and we want to assure them, that we are aware that they are there, and we are monitoring the situation, and we are trying our best to see how fast we can get you away safely in an organized manner.” He said those who had left Kharkiv had taken a lot of risks to move out of the war zone. “We will continue the process with the buses as we get it. Remember this is a conflict zone, many of the buses are utilized by the army and there are shortages of drivers,” he said. He said in Sumy, there are 700 plus Indians. “We are exploring all options, but the conflict situation there and the fact that the contact points on the two sides (fighting points between Russia and Ukraine) is posing significant obstacles in moving students out of the city.” He said India is engaged with all sides concerned to see whatever can be done at the earliest. “We would need to have some degree of a local ceasefire… We don’t want our students to cross an area where there is risk for them. We have urged for a local ceasefire to bring out our citizens, “he added. On reports that Russia has made available 130 buses to take out Indian students, he said that they are aware of it, but the buses are at quite a distance away which will make it difficult for students to walk it. “What I understand is that these buses are actually 50-60 km away from where the students are, it is too far for them to walk and take it. We don’t see a safe and secure way to reach them. I would urge the parties concerned to have a local ceasefire at least so that we can go to those buses if that is the suggested route.”