Evacuation of citizens hampered by 'adverse conditions': India

United Nations: Frustrating the Indian nationals trapped in Ukraine, India says that "adverse conditions' at the border are in the way of evacuating citizens.

Reports earlier said that scores of Indian nationals, mostly students pursuing medical studies in Ukraine, are either pell-mell heading towards or are blockaded at borders.

Authorities in Delhi and Indian embassy in Ukraine expressed hopes of evacuating them, which now is hampered by worsening situation in Ukraine. Meanwhile Russia advanced further into Ukraine, with reports of more cities falling to Russian forces.

At a parallel Security Council and General Assembly meetings on Ukraine, India offered to provide relief supplies to Ukraine. India's Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti made near-identical statements on this at the two meetings.

At the Security Council meeting called by French President Emmanuel Macron on unfettered humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, Tirumurti said, "Taking into account the humanitarian requirements in Ukraine, my government has also decided to provide urgent relief supplies, including medicines. These are expected to be dispatched tomorrow," reports say.

"We stand ready to help those from neighbours and developing countries who are also stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance," he said.

The meeting was called under the norms of the 1950 "Uniting for Peace" resolution after the veto-wielding Russia vetoed the resolution that condemned its invasion, calling for troop withdrawal.

This was only the 11th emergency session and the first in 40 years to be called by the Security Council, IANS reported.

Tirumurti expressed India's concerns over the roiling war situation in Ukraine, and urged parties to the situation to end hostilities.

Worrying over the hampering of evacuation, he said "Our evacuation efforts have been adversely impacted by the developments on ground at the border crossings."

He pointed at how "uncertain situation" at the border crossings impacted the "uninterrupted and predictable movement of people".

"The international community needs to ensure free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of all people keeping in view the humanitarian requirements in Ukraine," he said.

Tirumurti said that his government deployed Special Envoys to Ukraine's neigbournig countries.

Tirumurti thanked those countries for helping with the evacuation.

Without calling out Moscow, Tirumurti said at the Assembly, "All member states of the United Nations are not only obliged to follow the UN Charter, but also respect international law and territorial integrity and sovereignty of states."

He said that India welcomed the direct talks between Ukraine and Russia that began at the Belarus border on Monday.

France's Permanent Representative Nicolas de Riviere called for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, as well as ensuring protection of civilians and humanitarian workers.

Speaking from Geneva over video link, Under-Secretary-General Marting Griffiths, who is in charge of Humanitarian Affairs speaking, said, "We have all been watching the military offensive in Ukraine with a sense of disbelief and horror."

The aerial and ground attacks have resulted in an alarming level of human casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure like bridges, sanitation and electricity, he reportedly added.

Vasily Nebenzia, Russia's Permanent Representative, has said Ukraine didn't need international humanitarian aid, as Russian military was providing assistance in the areas under its control. He went on that there was no "acute humanitarian issues".

He also claimed that Russia "does not have the aim of occupying Ukraine".