Ukraine under attack: Russia accuses 'Ukrainian nationalists' of 'forcibly' holding over 3,700 Indians
Vassily Nebenzia
Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
The Indian government has been evacuating Indians from war-torn Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia has accused "Ukrainian nationalists" of forcibly holding over 3,700 Indian citizens in various cities as the conflict continues to escalate.
There's no response from Indian officials yet.
After the attack on the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine on Friday (March 4), Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia told an emergency UN Security Council meeting that radicals and extremists in Ukraine "were and are" under the "close guardianship and protection" of Western nations.
"We urge you to calm down your mentees who in the worst traditions of ISIL terrorists and their Idlib associates are hiding behind civilians, placing heavy weaponry and multiple rocket launchers in residential areas," Nebenzia said as quoted by India-based news agency PTI.
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"The number of foreign nationals who are being forcibly held by Ukrainian nationalists is shocking. In Kharkiv, this includes 3,189 citizens of India, up to 2,700 citizens of Vietnam, 202 citizens of China. In Sumy, this includes 576 Indian citizens, 101 Ghanaian citizens and 121 Chinese citizens," he added.
He said "these terrorists" are preventing civilians wishing to leave the cities from doing so and this practice is affecting not only Ukrainians but also foreign citizens.
The Russian military is doing everything to ensure the peaceful evacuation of foreign nationals, he said adding that at various checkpoints "130 comfortable buses" are standing ready in order to leave for Kharkiv and Sumy to rescue Indian students and other foreign citizens.
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Amid the ongoing evacuation of Indian medical students from Ukraine, National Medical Commission (NMC) allows Foreign Medical Graduates with incomplete internships due to compelling situations like the coronavirus and war to apply to complete internships in India if they clear FMGE.
WATCH |Watch how refugees in Ukraine’s Lviv are seeking shelter in theatre
(With inputs from agencies)