India urges citizens to move out of Russian regions targeted by Ukraine
Following the launch of an assault on the Kursk region more than a week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country’s forces had advanced into the area by one to two kilometers on Wednesday. He also said 100 Russian servicemen had been captured
New Delhi: India on Wednesday urged its citizens in Russia to move out of the Bryansk, Belgorod, and Kursk regions following a surprise cross-border attack by Ukrainian troops that has resulted in thousands of Russians fleeing from the area.
An advisory issued by the Indian embassy in Moscow referred to “recent security incidents” in the three regions and called on Indian nationals to take necessary precautions. The advisory did not make any direct reference to the fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
Following the launch of an assault on the Kursk region more than a week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country’s forces had advanced into the area by one to two kilometers on Wednesday. He also said 100 Russian servicemen had been captured.
“In view of the recent security incidents in the Bryansk, Belgorod, and Kursk regions, Indian nationals are advised to take necessary precautions and temporarily relocate outside these regions,” the Indian embassy’s advisory said.
“Any Indian national or student requiring any assistance may contact the Embassy at email: edu1.moscow@mea.gov.in or telephone number: +7 965 277 3414.”
The cross-border attack marked a major shift in tactics by Ukraine, which has spent most of the past two years trying to reclaim territory captured by Russian forces and defending other regions since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Authorities in the Belgorod region have declared an emergency, and tens of thousands of Russians were forced to flee their homes.
Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s minister for reintegration of temporarily occupied territories, said on Wednesday the operation in the Kursk region is aimed at protecting her country’s border regions, especially the Sumy area that has been targeted in Russian artillery and missile strikes. Ukrainian forces are “creating a security zone on the territory of the Russian Federation adjacent to the territory of Ukraine,” she said.
This is the first time foreign troops have entered Russian territory since World War 2. The Ukrainian government claims to have control of about 1,000 sq km of Russian territory but has said there are no plans to annex these areas.
There are about 20,000 Indian nationals in Russia, most of them students. It could not immediately be ascertained how many Indians are based in Bryansk, Belgorod, and Kursk regions.