Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Vladimir Putin on Wednesday regarding the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine that is under attack from Russia.
Shortly afterward, the Russian Embassy in India claimed that Ukraine was keeping Indian students as human shields.
Quoting the spokesperson of the Russian Defence Ministry, the Embassy said: “Russian armed forces are ready to take all necessary measures for the safe evacuation of the Indian citizens.”
India's Ministry of External Affairs had said in a press release that Modi and Putin had "reviewed the situation in Ukraine, especially in the city of Kharkiv where many Indian students are stuck".
"They discussed the safe evacuation of the Indian nationals from the conflict areas," said the release.
Indians forcibly detained: Russia
The Russian defence spokesperson said the following in a video message:
“According to our data, in Kharkiv, the Ukrainian authorities forcibly detain a large group of Indian students who wish to leave the Ukrainian territory and go to Belgorod.
“In fact, they are being held hostage and offered to leave the territory of Ukraine through the Ukrainian-Polish border. They offer to go through the territory where active hostilities are being conducted.
“The Armed Forces are ready to take all necessary measures for the safe evacuation of Indian citizens and send them home from the territory of Russia with their military transport planes or Indian planes, as the Indian side proposed to do.”
Earlier on the day, the Embassy of India in Kyiv had urged all Indians in Kharkiv to exit the city immediately based on inputs from Russian forces.
Last week, India had joined China and the United Arab Emirates in abstaining on a draft UN Security Council resolution, vetoed by Russia, that would have deplored its actions in Ukraine.
