Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his forces are doing everything to evacuate the stranded Indian citizens, mostly students, from the war-torn eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, according to his office, Trend reports citing Rediff.
During the 50-minute telephonic conversation, Prime Minister Modi conveyed his "deep concern" over the safety and security of the Indian students stuck in Sumy city and sought their evacuation at the earliest. Modi also suggested that a direct conversation between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may greatly assist the ongoing peace efforts.
Around 700 Indian students are stranded in Sumy amid intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops and India has been urging both sides to create a "humanitarian corridor" for their safe evacuation.
President Putin, in the telephone conversation with Prime Minister Modi, said that Russian military personnel are doing everything to evacuate Indian citizens from Sumy, TASS news agency reported, citing the Kremlin.
"Russian military personnel are making every effort to ensure the evacuation of Indian citizens from the city of Sumy,” it said.
Modi thanked the Russian side "for the measures taken to ensure the return of his compatriots to their homeland,” it added.
It was the third telephonic conversation between the two leaders after the military conflict began in Ukraine 11 days back.