PM Modi Will Speak To Russia's Putin Tonight On Ukraine Crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin tonight amid the crisis in Ukraine, sources have told NDTV.  Russian military operations started against Ukraine this morning and the former Soviet republic has asked for India's intervention.

Russia opened military operations against Ukraine this morning after months of tension over Ukraine's proximity to NATO. Mr Putin earlier claimed that Ukraine is a puppet of the West and was never a proper state anyway.

By evening, Russia claimed that its military has destroyed more than 70 military targets in Ukraine, including 11 airfields, 18 radar stations of the S-300 and Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems. At least 68 people -- soldiers and civilians -- were killed, according to an AFP tally from various Ukrainian official sources.

Earlier today, Ukraine Envoy Igor Polikha sought India's intervention, saying, "India is a very influential global player… We are asking for a strong voice of India".  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "is one of the most powerful, respected world leaders" and the "status of Modi-ji makes me hopeful that with Modi ji's strong voice, Putin will think".  

India has already called for de-escalation of hostilities, saying unless it is checked, it can "spiral into a major crisis" that can severely destabilize the region.

"We express our deep concern over the developments, which if not handled carefully, may well undermine the peace and security of the region," India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti has said.

Earlier this evening, the Prime Minister held a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Security to discuss the economic impact of the crisis and ways to mitigate the spin-off -- rising crude oil prices.

After the meeting, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, "At the CCS meeting, PM Modi has stated that the topmost priority of the government is the safety and security of Indian nationals including students in Ukraine."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India Hardeep Singh Puri among others were present in the meeting.

Markets have been rattled by Russian military action in Ukraine today. The 30-share benchmark Sensex crashed over 2,700 points in line with global meltdown.

The government has also been trying to evacuate Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine. But this morning, special flights to Kyiv for the evacuation were cancelled as Ukraine closed its airspace.

With an Air India flight forced to turn back, India is now looking for alternative routes to evacuate its citizens. The foreign ministry held high-level meetings to work out contingency plans and alternate evacuation routes, sources said.

To assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, the foreign ministry is sending teams to the land borders with Ukraine in Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic and Romania.

The Indian embassy has also issued a set of guidelines to students and others who live in the country.

The Indian embassy warned that citizens "traveling to Kyiv, including those traveling from western parts of Kyiv, are advised to return to their respective cities temporarily, especially towards safer places along the western bordering countries."

(With inputs from Reuters and PTI)