Safe Corridor For Our Students In Ukraine’s Sumy Didn’t Materialise: India To UNSC

Mumbai: Addressing the UNSC on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, India’s UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti reiterated the urgent demand for the safe and unhindered passage for all citizens including Indians stranded in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held talks with his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts on several occasions, emphasizing the need for the quick and safe evacuation of citizens. Despite repeated requests, India today told the UN Security Council that no safe corridor has been created for the students trapped in Sumy.

So far, efforts to allow civilians to exit war-torn areas have been unsuccessful, with both sides accusing both sides of blame and ceasefire violations.

Around 700 Indian students are stranded in Sumi, which has witnessed intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops for the past few days. Efforts to evacuate them have met with little success due to heavy shelling and airstrikes.

“India has been consistent in calling for an immediate end to all hostilities…We are deeply concerned that despite our repeated urgings to both sides, the safe corridor for our students stranded in Sumy did not materialize,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told the UN Security Council meeting on Monday.

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The Indian diplomat said that the country has managed to facilitate the safe return of over 20,000 citizens from Ukraine under Operation Ganga.

“We have also assisted nationals from other countries, who approached us, in their return to their respective countries. And we will remain open to doing so in the coming days,” he said.

As the war enters its 12th day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and sought their support in the safe and speedy evacuation of Indian students stranded in Sumy.

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