Russia announces another limited ceasefire
NEW DELHI/LVIV Mar 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin during which he conveyed his “deep concern” over the safety and security of the Indian students stuck in Ukraine’s Sumy city and sought their evacuation at the earliest.
During the 50-minute telephonic conversation, Modi also suggested that a direct conversation between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may greatly assist the ongoing peace efforts.
Official sources said Modi stressed the importance of safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Sumy at the earliest and that Putin assured him of all possible cooperation to safely get them out of the northeastern Ukrainian city.
Around 700 Indian students are stranded in Sumy amid intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops.
“Prime Minister Modi conveyed his deep concern for the safety and security of the Indian students still remaining in Sumy,” the PMO said in a statement.
It said Putin briefed the Prime Minister about the ongoing measures related to “humanitarian corridors” for facilitating the evacuation of civilians including Indian students.
It was the third telephonic conversation between the two leaders after the military conflict began in Ukraine 11 days back.
The sources said Modi appreciated the announcement of the ceasefire and establishment of humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine, including in Sumy.
Earlier in the day, Modi spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and sought his continued support in the evacuation of the Indians stuck in Sumy city.
During the conversation, Zelenskyy briefed the Prime Minister in detail about the “conflict situation” and the ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
In the last few days, India has been focusing on the evacuation of its students from Sumy.
Meanwhile, “it has been 10 days (since) we have been waiting here but there is no ray of hope (as to) when we will be evacuated,” says a distraught Indian medical student stranded in the embattled northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy in a video message.
There is no power, no water supply and shops are refusing to accept cards, even though ATMs have run out of cash, said the Sumy State University student.
“We are not able to buy even food and essential items,” she said.
Around 700 Indian students are stranded in Sumy, which has been witnessing intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops for days now. India has been making efforts to evacuate its citizens from the city but with little success due to heaving shelling and air strikes.
Another Indian student stranded in Sumy, Aashiq Hussain Sarkar, said, “Our willpower is going down. We are feeling demoralised… We are still waiting for an update.”
Ajith Gangadharan, a fourth-year medical student, said, “We were almost ready to leave on foot. The government asked us to stay put and not take any risk so we stayed back. But for how long?”
Exasperated, the Indian students in Sumy had on Saturday posted a video clip announcing that they had decided to risk the walk to the Russian border in biting cold amid the fighting, raising fears about their safety in the corridors of power in New Delhi.
Soon after the video went viral, the Indian Government asked the students to remain in shelters and assured them they will be rescued soon.
Melting snow to slake their thirst and fast running out of supplies, hundreds of Indian students trapped in Sumy stand on roads every morning hoping “today is the day” when they will be rescued from the savagery of the war that has engulfed Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia announced yet another limited cease-fire and the establishment of safe corridors to allow civilians to flee some besieged Ukrainian cities today. But the evacuation routes led mostly to Russia and its ally Belarus, drawing withering criticism from Ukraine and others.
Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of resorting to “medieval siege” tactics in places, and in one of the most desperate of the encircled cities, the southern port of Mariupol, there were no immediate signs of an evacuation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces continued to pummel some cities with rockets even after the announcement of corridors, and fierce fighting raged in places, indicating there would be no wider cessation of hostilities.
Efforts to set up safe passage for civilians over the weekend fell apart amid continued shelling. But the Russian Defense Ministry announced a new push Monday, saying civilians would be allowed to leave the capital of Kyiv, Mariupol and the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy.
The two sides met for a third round of talks Monday, according to Russian state media, though hopes for any breakthrough were dim. The countries’ foreign ministers are also scheduled to meet in Turkey on Thursday, according to that country’s top diplomat.
Ukrainians, whose ferocious resistance has slowed the invasion and thwarted any hopes Moscow had for a lightning victory, have been reinforcing cities across the country.
In Kyiv, soldiers and volunteers have built hundreds of checkpoints, often using sandbags, stacked tires and spiked cables.
“Every house, every street, every checkpoint, we will fight to the death if necessary,” said Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Dozens of makeshift kitchens are serving food to soldiers.
“I’m carrying out my duty, working for my country, thanking our soldiers,” Natalia Antonovska said at one kitchen. “That’s why I’m here, and I’m very proud of it.”
In Mariupol, where an estimated 200,000 people hoping to flee were becoming increasingly desperate, Red Cross officials waited to hear when a safe corridor would be established. The city is short on water, food and power, and cellphone networks are down. Stores have been looted as residents search for essential goods.
Police moved through the city, advising people to remain in shelters until they heard official messages broadcast over loudspeakers to evacuate. (Agencies)
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