Countering Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism, Union minister Ramdas Athawale said the government had started the preparation for bringing Indian nationals back from Ukraine when war in that country was only a possibility.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi claimed that while the condition of Indians stranded in Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia, was worsening, the Narendra Modi government was not taking effective steps to bring them home. Speaking to the media, Athawale said, "When there was (only) a possibility of war, the Government of India had already started taking steps for the evacuation of students.