Leave Kharkiv immediately: Indian embassy in Ukraine tells its citizens amid worsening situation
In light of deteriorating situation in war-torn Ukraine, the Indian embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday issued a fresh advisory asking all its citizens to leave the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv immediately. The advisory is based on information from the Russian side, the Ministry of External Affairs has stated.
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“For their own safety and security, they must leave Kharkiv immediately in light of the deteriorating situation,” the embassy stated in an urgent advisory.
URGENT ADVISORY TO INDIAN STUDENTS IN KHARKIV.@MEAIndia @PIB_India @DDNational @DDNewslive pic.twitter.com/2dykst5LDB
— India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) March 2, 2022
It further asked the Indian nationals to move to Pesochin, Babaye and Bezlyudovka as soon as possible. “Under all circumstances, they must reach these settlements by 1800 hrs (Ukrainian time) today,” it added.
The latest advisory came a day after a 21-year-old Indian medical student was killed in Kharkiv. A key Russian target, Kharkiv has come under intense shelling over the past two days, with 21 people killed in the past day.
The assault on Kharkiv continued Wednesday, even as Russia said it would be ready to resume talks with the Ukrainian side in the evening. A Russian strike on the regional police and intelligence headquarters killed four people and injured nine others, according to the Ukrainian state emergency service.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had last Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.” He had said the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine – a claim the U.S. had predicted he would falsely make to justify an invasion.
