Ukraine war: No reports of Indians taken hostage, India refutes Putin's charge

The Indian government on Thursday refuted reports that Indian students were taken hostage in Ukraine.

The ministry of external affairs, in a statement, said the government got no reports of any hostage situation involving Indian students in Ukraine.

The government response came after several media reports quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Ukraine forces took Indian students hostage and used them as human shield against the Russian fire.

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The MEA said that Indian Embassy in Ukraine is in continuous touch with Indian nationals in Ukraine. It noted that with the cooperation of the Ukrainian authorities, many students have left Kharkiv on Wednesday.

The government said that Indian students are being evacuated with the help of Ukraine authorities and its neighbours, including Russia, Romania, Poland, Hungry, Slovakia and Moldova.

Thousands of Indian students have returned from war-hit Ukraine in the last few days while thousands are still stuck there. Indian government has been coordination the evacuations under "Operation Ganga".

Three Indian Air Force aircraft brought home a total of 648 Indians, including students, in the early hours of Thursday. Nearly 1,400 were brought back on 6 special flights on Wednesday.