India on Thursday assured its citizens stranded in Ukraine that it will take all possible steps to bring them back safe and sound.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said at a media briefing that the Indian embassy in Ukraine is extending all possible assistance to the Indians notwithstanding the complicated situation.
He said a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, was underway on the Ukraine crisis.
Mr Shringla said PM Modi conveyed at the CCS meeting that the topmost priority of the government is the safety and security of Indians and their evacuation from Ukraine.
The foreign secretary said around 4,000 Indian nationals out of 20,000 have already left Ukraine in the past few days.
"The situation on the ground is difficult and rapidly evolving," he said.
"I want to assure all Indian citizens including students in Ukraine that we will take all possible steps to bring you back safe and sound," he said.
Mr Shringla said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will speak to foreign ministers of Romania, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary on the Ukraine crisis.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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