4,000 Indians stuck in Ukraine

India March 2 (Hindustan Times)- The fate of nearly 4,000 Indians stuck in conflict zones in Ukraine is fast becoming a test for special relations between New Delhi and Moscow, the Hindustan Times reported Wednesday.  
 India has been repeatedly calling for safe passage to facilitate the evacuation of its nationals out of harm’s way.   
India has already deployed a team from the embassy in Moscow in the Russian city of Belgorod, located 75 km across the border from Kharkiv and begun working on transport and logistics for a possible evacuation on this route. However, the team has been unable to make any headway because of the fighting going on across eastern Ukraine, Hindustan Times reported.  

The safety and evacuation of the Indians in Kharkiv, Sumy and other cities in eastern Ukraine, the target of intense Russian shelling and rocket attacks, have become the Indian government’s top priority following the death of an Indian student in Kharkiv, Tuesday.  

Foreign secretary Harsh V Shringla, Sunday called in the envoys of Russia and Ukraine twice to express concern about the safety of Indians stranded in Kharkiv and other conflict zones and to demand safe passage for their evacuation.  

The heightened concerns regarding the safety of the Indians in the conflict zones have added to the complex diplomatic manoeuvring India is doing the Ukraine crisis at a time when it is facing growing pressure from its Western partners, including the US and key European players, to take a position on condemning Russia’s actions.