Amid rising tensions in Ukraine, Russia claims the Ukrainians are keeping a group of Indian students prisoner to use them as human shields.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second time in less than a week, revealing to him that Ukrainian soldiers are using Indian students as human shields to gain leverage in the current combat with Russian troops.

Russian President Vladimir Putin further told India that his military was doing all necessary to guarantee that Indian citizens were safely evacuated from the “war zone.”

Putin has asked his troops to arrange “rapid evacuation of a group of Indian students from Kharkov (Kharkiv) through the humanitarian corridor along the shortest path to Russia,” according to the Kremlin’s summary of the call.

“At the same time, according to the most recent information, these students are being held captive by Ukrainian security forces, who are using them as a human shield and preventing them from leaving for Russia in any manner imaginable.” “The Kiev (Kyiv) authorities bear sole responsibility in this issue,” the Kremlin response stated.

PM Modi as well as President Putin spoke many hours after Indians stuck in Kharkiv, Ukraine, were told to leave and go to three places within four hours, including Pesochin, Babaye, and Bezlyudovka, Russia.

Due to the escalating situation, the Indian embassy in Ukraine issued an urgent warning to all Indians in Kharkiv. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city, is currently home to the country’s largest population of Indians.

According to an Indian interpretation of Modi and Putin’s chat, the two discussed the situation in Ukraine, particularly in the districts surrounding Kharkiv, where many Indian students are trapped.

The report stated, “They addressed the safe evacuation of Indian people from crisis zones.”

The Russian envoy notified Indians yesterday that the Russians have agreed to give a safe route via their land.

According to India, no student has been abducted.

In a separate statement, the MEA stated that India had “not received any information of any hostage scenario involving any student” as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. According to the report, the Indian government has demanded that the Ukrainian authorities arrange special trains to transport students out of Kharkiv and its environs.

The Russian Defense Ministry has previously declared that Russian military forces are prepared to take all necessary precautions to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian people.

“And, as offered by the Indian side, transfer them home from Russian territory using Russian military transport flights or Indian jets,” the Russian Defense Ministry stated.

There had been rumors that Zelenskyy’s administration was using citizens as human shields to stop the Russian troops from moving ahead. According to reports, Ukraine has reportedly placed Indian students in a hostage scenario near the Polish border.

Ukraine develops an evacuation hotline.

Ukraine claimed to have established an emergency hotline for African, Asian, and other students desiring to flee Ukraine due to Russia’s military activity, only hours after Russia claimed that Ukrainian forces are using Indians as human shields to protect themselves.

The detained students might call the hotline for a safe escape, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. He went on to say that they are working hard to secure their safety and expedite the process.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the students were offered the opportunity to leave Ukraine via the Ukrainian-Polish border. “They volunteered to travel into a region where active conflicts are occurring,” according to the statement.

According to sources, over 3,000 students remain trapped in these towns, most of whom are in Kharkiv.

Many Indian students have released recordings alleging that Ukrainian officials are harassing them and preventing them from boarding trains.

No civilians have been used as human shields, according to the US.

However, the US Department of State stated on Wednesday that it has received no verifiable reports of Ukraine employing Indian students as human shields.

These charges, according to the State Department, are frequently utilized in Russian disinformation campaigns.

“We have seen no verifiable reports of these occurrences, and allegations about civilians being utilized as human shields are prevalent in Russian misinformation,” a representative for the US Department of State stated.