Iran Press/ America: “It is absolutely essential to establish a pause in the fighting in Ukraine to allow for the safe passage of civilians from Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy, as well as all other places caught in the conflict, and to ensure life-saving humanitarian supplies, can move in for those who remain,” Antonio Guterres said in a tweet as Russia’s military operation in Ukraine intensified on Sunday.
The UN chief’s tweet came amid reports that Indian and other foreign nationals are being kept by force in these regions by Ukrainian nationalists.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the UN Security Council on Friday that Ukraine nationals are keeping over 3,700 Indian citizens “by force” in Kharkiv and Sumy and buses from Russia are ready and waiting at crossing points to go to these Ukrainian cities to evacuate Indian students and other foreign nationals.
“During the evacuation of Indian citizens yesterday, nationalists threatened them with physical violence and the use of weapons for their refusal to be evacuated via unsafe routes toward Ukraine’s western borders,” Russia’s state-run TASS news agency quoted the National Defense Management Center as saying.
At a meeting with a group of women employees of Russian airlines, President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Ukraine has held more than 6,000 foreign nationals hostage in Kharkiv.
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