'Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of impeding humanitarian corridors'

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other at the UN of impeding humanitarian corridors that would allow safe passage of citizens and foreigners caught in the raging conflict even as India urged both sides to facilitate uninterrupted passage for all civilians including stranded Indians in UkrainePermanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine on Monday that Ukraine deeply regrets that more than 2000 citizens of India China Turkey Pakistan and other countries suffer today along with Ukrainians from Russian aggressionHe said the government of Ukraine was in contact 247 with diplomatic missions and consulates of foreign countries to ensure that their citizens can safely return to their countries as soon as possibleHe said Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs had established an emergency hotline for foreign citizens wishing to leave Ukraine because of the Russian armed aggressionThe Ukrainian border guards in cooperation with colleagues from neighbouring European Union countries and Moldova are doing everything possible to speed up the passage of all refugees from Ukraine and have never created obstacles that would hinder thisiquest Kyslytsya saidHe reiterated that the only root cause of the ongoing massive humanitarian crisis in Ukraine including the situation at the western border was the armed aggression of Russia against UkraineRussia bears full responsibility for the killing and injuring of innocent people destruction of civilian infrastructure and obstacles for the safe departure of Ukrainians and foreign citizens Kyslytsya saidIndias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told the UN Security Council meeting that India has reiterated its urgent demand for the safe and uninterrupted passage for all innocent civilians including Indian nationals remaining in UkraineWe are deeply concerned that despite our repeated urgings to both sides the safe corridor for our students stranded in Sumy did not materialise Tirumurti said Russian Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia said in the Council that Moscow was particularly concerned that Ukrainian radicals still hold more than 1500 foreign citizens in a number of cities as hostages to use them as a human shieldWe stand in constant contact with relevant diplomatic missions regarding those foreigners Besides foreign citizens who attempted to cross the Ukrainian border heading to Europe encountered immense difficulties he saidThose were nationals of a number of states including African countries We have taken note of a statement on this matter that was issued by the Senegalese presidency of the African Union We were appalled by reported ruthless attacks of nationalists on student dorms that caused deaths of Indian students Nebenzia said according to his statement posted on the website of the Russian missionIndia has brought back over 17100 of its nationals from Ukraine so far while around 700 Indian students remained stuck in the northeastern city of Sumy with their evacuation dependent on the facilitation of a safe passage by Russian and Ukrainian authoritiesOn Monday Indian student Harjot Singh who took four bullets while fleeing Ukrainian capital Kyiv a few days ago landed at the Hindon airbase near DelhiIn the first Indian casualty in the war in Ukraine Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar a medical student from Karnataka was killed in shelling in Kharkiv city on March 1 Nebenzia alleged that the Ukrainian side strongly refuses to cooperate with regard to the evacuation of civilians from Kharkiv and SumyIt is clear to us that the Kyiv regime tries to prevent the exit of civilians and foreign citizens to Russia in every way possible out of fear that once liberated people will tell everyone the truth about the acts of Ukrainian radicals he saidNebenzia added that he received an emergency statement from the Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response in Ukraine dated March 7 The statement says that the Russian side offers to establish a ceasefire tomorrow on 8 March at 1000 am Moscow time and open a humanitarian corridor for evacuation of civilians from Kyiv Chernigov Sumy Kharkiv and MariupolMy Ukrainian colleague said Ukraine is ready to work on that Lets see what response Ukrainian authorities give to our proposal he saidKyslytsya quoted Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said Today in violation of the previously reached agreements the Russian Federation yet again disrupted the opening of the humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of the civilian population from the besieged cities of the suburbs of Kyiv Kharkiv Donetsk and Kherson regionsRussias armed forces continue bombing and missile attacks on Kyiv Mariupol Volnovakha Sumy Mykolaiv Kharkiv and other cities towns and villages This prevents the safe exit of humanitarian convoys carrying Ukrainian and foreign citizens as well as the delivery of medications and food he allegedHe said Ukraines calls on the Member States to spare no effort in forcing Russia to uphold the ceasefire regime in order to open humanitarian corridors and prevent a largescale humanitarian catastropheThe Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to the Russian military offensive Indian citizens stuck in Ukraine are being airlifted once they cross to neighbouring countries such as Romania Hungary Slovakia and PolandThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever