Operation Ganga: All 694 Indian students stranded in Ukraine's Sumy leave for Poltava

"Last night, I checked with the control room, 694 Indian students remain stranded in Sumy. Today, they have all left in buses for Poltava," said Hardeep Singh Puri.

Image credit: ANI

New Delhi: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday (March 8) said that all 694 Indian students stranded in Ukraine`s Sumy have left for Poltava today. Answering queries of reporters about Indians stranded in Ukraine, he said, "Last night, I checked with the control room, 694 Indian students remain stranded in Sumy. Today, they have all left in buses for Poltava."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested that a direct conversation between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine may greatly assist the ongoing peace efforts to deal with the ongoing conflict.

Prime Minister Modi conveyed his deep concern for the safety and security of the Indian students still remaining in Sumy. President Putin briefed Prime Minister about the ongoing measures related to humanitarian corridors for facilitating the evacuation of civilians including Indian students.

The Prime Minister welcomed the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and expressed hope that they would lead to the cessation of the conflict. Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv evacuated 75 Indian sailors stranded in Mykolaiv Port on Tuesday.

"Mission intervened to evacuate 75 Indian sailors stranded in Mykolaiv Port. Yesterday buses arranged by Mission evacuated a total of 57 sailors including 2 Lebanese & 3 Syrians. Route constraints precluded the evacuation of balance 23 sailors. The mission is attempting their evacuation today," tweeted the Embassy of India in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Russia on Tuesday declared a ceasefire amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine from 10 am (Moscow time) to provide humanitarian corridors in the cities of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol.