Indian nationals who were stranded in eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy following Russia’s invasion of the country, were evacuated on Tuesday.

The evacuation was undertaken by the officials of the Indian embassy in Ukraine and Red Cross Society. Boarded on as many as 12 buses, Indians left Sumy for Poltava.

A total of 649 Indian students were stranded in Sumy when Russia announced military operations in Ukraine. Indian embassy and Red Cross vehicles escorted the buses carrying evacuees.

Even as the government of India tried to evacuate its citizens out of the country under Operation Ganga, those in Sumy could not be rescued.

Notably, a significant number of Bangladeshi and Nepali nationals were also evacuated today.

Earlier in the day, Russia declared a cease-fire and opened corridors to conduct a ‘humanitarian operation’ starting 12.30 pm in Indian time. The Russian embassy in India released a list of ‘humanitarian corridors’ that it was ready to provide for evacuation purposes.

The Russian embassy in India said on Facebook, “Due to the failure and inability of the Ukrainian side to ensure the functioning of humanitarian corridors, the situation in a large number of settlements on almost the entire territory of Ukraine, primarily in such cities as Kiev, Chernigov, Sumy, Kharkov and Mariupol, is rapidly deteriorating and has acquired the character of a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Raising the issue at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Ukraine yesterday, India’s permanent representative to the UN, T S Tirumurti had said that India was deeply concerned that despite repeated urgings to both Russia and Ukraine, a safe corridor for Indian students stranded in Sumy did not materialize.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to the Presidents of both Russia and Ukraine on Monday and urged for an immediate ceasefire and for both parties to return to dialogue and diplomacy. He further thanked both sides for helping in the evacuation of Indian nationals from the conflict ridden region.