The Indian Foreign Ministry has requested that Indian students, studying in Luhansk and Donetsk, leave these areas immediately, according to a statement released by the Indian Foreign Ministry, and published on Friday.
According to the document, the Indian embassy in Kiev had evacuated Indian citizens from Donetsk and Luhansk in the summer of 2014. Since then, the embassy has regularly advised that citizens of India, especially students, not return to these areas because of renewed fighting.
“Despite these recommendations, our embassy has information that a small number of students have returned to their places of study in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, and has taken steps to encourage them, as much as possible, directly and through posts on the diplomatic mission’s website, to immediately leave these areas,” said the Indian Foreign Minister .
Indian nationals are also advised not to travel to these areas, they said at the Indian Foreign Ministry.
On Thursday, in the Leninsky District of Donetsk, a public transit stop was hit by artillery fire, killing 15 people. Authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic claimed that Ukrainian security forces fired at the stop, presumably using a mortar. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has denied any involvement in this tragedy and blames the incident on rebel militias. The OSCE Mission, after the incident, called for an immediate ceasefire in the Donbass Region. Moscow supports efforts for an objective investigation of the tragedy, with the participation of OSCE observers.
First published in Russian by RIA Novosti.
All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
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