The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested Satendra Siwal (27) from Hapur on Sunday. He has been accused of sharing classified information with the Pakistan-based Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Additional director general of ATS, Mohit Agarwal, told the media that Satendra was posted as multi-tasking staff member at the Indian embassy in Moscow.

He allegedly spied for the ISI and passed on important information to his handlers across the border. Agarwal said he was under surveillance for the past six months and was arrested upon his return to Hapur after taking leave from the embassy in Moscow.

The ATS chief added that Satendra had been working at the Indian Embassy in Moscow since 2021 as an India based Security Assistant (IBSA). Agarwal further added that Satendra is accused of sharing classified information related to the army establishment and documents pertaining to the embassy’s foreign office.

The ATS chief said they are scanning his bank accounts and have seized his mobile phone to gather more details about his associates. It stated further that Siwal was called to the ATS field unit in Meerut and confessed to his crime in the face of questioning. An FIR was registered in the matter under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The ATS said in a statement the UP ATS had received inputs from several confidential sources that the Pakistani spy agency ISI’s handlers had used money to influence some people working at the Foreign Ministry of India to leak top secret information regarding the Indian army and its strategies.

The ATS developed this information and through electronic surveillance and evidence collection, and it was found that Satendra Siwal, a native of the Hapur district of UP, who works at the Foreign Ministry as an MTS (Multi-tasking staff), and is currently posted at the Indian Embassy was involved in this.  

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The war between Russia and Ukraine has entered day 11, with the panic intensifying. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a desperate plea for eastern Europe to provide Russian-made aircraft to Ukraine. He also urged for a no-fly zone, lethal aid, a boycott on Russian oil, and Visa and Mastercard to be suspended in Russia.

Meanwhile, Indians stranded in eastern Ukraine have been unable to use the newly established evacuation routes following a brief ceasefire in Mariupol and Volnovakha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a meeting in New Delhi to assess the situation in Ukraine and the evacuation procedure. Apart from those in Sumy and Pisochyn, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, claimed there aren’t many Indians remaining in Ukraine.

Russia Ukraine Live Updates:

Indian Embassy starts last leg of Operation Ganga from Hungary

Indian Embassy has declared that the country would be operating its last leg of Operation Ganga today. It has asked students to reach Budapest between 10 aqm to 12 pm.

Russia Ukraine War Live Updates: Russian missile strike hits homes in Zhytomyr

A Russian missile strike on residential homes in the Zhytomyr region, some 140 kilometers north-west of Kyiv, has resulted in casualties, according to Ukraine’s emergency services.

Ukraine claims Russian troops opened fire on civilians trying to evacuate Irpin

As per claims made by Ukraine, Russian troops opened fire on civilians while they were attempting to evacuate the city of Irpin.

Russian banks rush to switch to Chinese card system

After Visa and MasterCard announced that their operations in Russia would be suspended, many Russian banks announced on Sunday that they would soon begin issuing cards using the Chinese UnionPay card operator’s system combined with Russia’s own Mir network.

Embassy of India requests nationals in Ukraine to fill Google form urgently

All Indian nationals who are still in Ukraine have been requested to fill up the details contained in the Google form that has been attached on the official Twitter handle of Embassy of India.

Donetsk People’s Republic claims 15 civilians injured in 24 hours

The Donetsk People’s Republic has claimed that 15 civilians got injured in the past 24 hours in Ukraine.

China tells NATO to pay attention to negative impact of expansion on Russia’s security

In a phone call with US Secretary of State Blinken on March 5, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasised the evolution of the situation in Ukraine is something China does not want to see. China’s foreign ministry also urged the United States, NATO, and the European Union to pay attention to the harmful impact of NATO’s further eastward expansion on Russian security.

Mariupol running out of food, power, situation catastrophic, says Doctors Without Borders

The humanitarian situation in Mariupol, according to Doctors Without Borders, is now catastrophic. The most serious issue is Mariupol is lack of access to safe drinking water. According to the organisation, the city is also running out of food, electricity, and power.

Russia to reopen humanitarian corridors in 2 Ukrainian cities

Reports say that Russia will reopen humanitarian corridors in Mariupol and Volnovakha on Sunday morning.

Visa, Mastercard suspend operations in Russia

In the latest blow to Russia’s financial system over invasion in Ukraine, Mastercard and Visa have suspended their operations in Russia after Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy called them to do it during a meeting with US lawmakers on Monday. Mastercard said cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by its network and any Mastercard issued outside the country will not work at Russian stores or ATMs.

Read Also: Russia Ukraine War Live Updates: Indian student who sustained bullet injuries in Kyiv gets escorted to IAF’s special aircraft

UN says 10 million Ukrainians may be displaced due to war

According to the prediction of the United Nations, 10 million Ukrainians, roughly a quarter of the country’s population, may get displaced due to war.

Zelenskyy talks to Biden about sanctions against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with US President Joe Biden about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. They discussed financial support and sanctions against Russia.

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From bombardments, shelling, and capturing major cities of Ukraine, Russia’s invasion has entered its tenth day. The situation continues to escalate in Ukraine and many Indians are fleeing from the conflict-ridden region to neighbouring countries. Amid the war, an Indian student who was trying to escape from Ukraine’s capital Kyiv was shot.

Identified as Harjot Singh, a student claimed that he has not received any support from the Indian embassy and has been trying to get in touch with them every day. Speaking from his hospital bed in Kyiv, he urged the Indian embassy in Ukraine to evacuate him and assist him with documentation. He further said he hasn’t received any help from the embassy yet despite promising him of evacuating him soon.

Responding to the video, India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Indian government will bear the medical expense of Harjot Singh in Kyiv, Ukraine. The ministry further said the Indian embassy is trying to get an update on his health status but they are facing trouble as it’s a conflict zone.

Harjot Singh sustained multiple injuries due to bullets fired at the car in which he was travelling while escaping the war-hit Kyiv. He said that God has given him a second life and he wants to spend a good time with his family in Delhi.

Harjot Singh, who is pursuing studies in Information Technology, said it doesn’t matter if you send a charter (plane) after death. God has given me a second life, I want to live it. I request the embassy to evacuate me from here, provide me facilities like a wheelchair, help me with documentation, he said.

Harjot added that he tried three or four times but could not board the train. In the end, he decided to hire a private cab. The fares were high. It takes nearly Rs 4,000 on a normal day in Indian currency but on that day they charged nearly USD 3,000, he said.

The incident occurred on February 27 when Harjot and two others were leaving in a cab to the third checkpoint when they were told to return due to security reasons. While coming back, bullets were fired at his car due to which Harjot sustained multiple bullet injuries. The Indian student said he regained consciousness at 10 pm on the night of March 2.

According to the doctors, Harjot was brought to the hospital after nearly four hours. He had lost a lot of blood. Two bullets hit his left leg and a bullet entered his chest.

Read Also: Russia Ukraine War: Indian Embassy asks students to clean toilets if they want to board flights for home, says returnee

The students are currently fleeing Ukraine and attempting to cross the Poland border to return to India safely. Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, and Gen (Retd) VK Singh are the four Union Ministers in charge of the evacuation efforts in the countries bordering Ukraine.

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The Indian government is working round the clock to bring the Indians stranded in Ukraine. Amid this, a video has gone viral on Twitter, where an Indian returnee has claimed that the Indian embassy asked students to clean toilets if they want to board flights for home. Nearly 1,000 students were waiting to board flights desperately but they were given a choice to clean toilets first to board first.

Earlier, a similar video got viral when an Indian returnee, identified as Congress leader’s daughter Vishakha Yadav slammed the ruling party for its failed Operation Ganga plan. The girl in a video said the government’s duty is to bring the students safely from the war-torn region and evacuating students from a safe neighbouring country does not consider an evacuation.

Vishakha took a dig at the Indian government said that Operation Ganga can not be called evacuation because students are being evacuated from neighbouring countries, not from inside Ukraine. She stated that evacuation is said to be done when people are lifted from the actual battlefield, which is not the case. Neither the government nor the Indian embassy provided food, shelter to the stranded Indians, she added.

Read Also: Russia Ukraine War Live Updates: Thousands of people in Europe without internet after massive cyberattack, says report

Currently, 1,000 students are still stuck in Ukraine’s war zones, said the Ministry of External Affairs. India is primarily focusing on evacuating its nationals from the conflict zones of Kharkiv and Sumy in eastern Ukraine, the MEA said.

Russia Ukraine war has entered its tenth day. Russian forces have captured Ukrainian’s Southern city Kherson. Russian troops on Friday attacked Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia.

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Over 1,000 Indian students in Kharkiv are left stranded at the Kharkiv Railway Station after the Indian Embassy on Wednesday released an urgent advisory to leave the city immediately.

A video is doing rounds on the internet wherein students can be seen leaving towards the train station on foot. As per reports, it’s been nearly 7 hours at the station and only 250 students have been able to board trains.

Watch the video here:

On Wednesday, the Indian Embassy released an urgent advisory and asked all the Indian nationals to immediately leave the city till 6 pm as the situation deteriorated. The advisory said Indians should reach Pesochin, Babaye, or Bezlyudovka latest by 6 pm local time (9:30 pm IST). In another advisory, the Indian Embassy said that all Indian nationals in Kharkiv must leave the city immediately in light of the deteriorating situation for their safety and security. The advisory further wrote asked the nationals to proceed to Pesochin, Babaye, and Bezlyudovka as soon as possible under all circumstances.

On Wednesday, the Russia-Ukraine war reported a second Indian casualty wherein a 22-year-old student died due to a stroke. The Indian student has been identified as Chandal Jindal who was sick for a month. He was admitted to the ICU in Emergency Hospital in Vinnytsia. Hailing from Punjab’s Barnala, the deceased was a student at the Vinnytsia National Pyrogov, Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia in Ukraine.

Read Also: Russia-Ukraine war: Here’s how Smriti Irani welcomed students back to India from war-hit Ukraine | WATCH

The first casualty was reported on Tuesday. Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagouda was shot dead by the Russian troops while he was out in Kharkiv to buy groceries. The 21-year-old was a fourth-year medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University.

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Indian Embassy on Wednesday sent out an urgent advisory to all Indian nationals in Kharkiv and asked them to immediately leave the city till 6 pm amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Sharing the advisory on Twitter, the Indian Embassy said Indians should reach Pesochin, Babaye, or Bezlyudovka latest by 6 pm local time (9:30 pm IST).

Have a look at the tweet here:

In the second urgent advisory, the Indian Embassy wrote that all Indian nationals in Kharkiv must leave the city immediately in light of the deteriorating situation for their safety and security. The advisory further wrote asked the nationals to proceed to Pesochin, Babaye, and Bezlyudovka as soon as possible under all circumstances.

The ongoing war between the two European countries witnessed a second Indian casualty wherein a 22-year-old student succumbed to a stroke. The deceased has been identified as Chandal Jindal who was a student at the Vinnytsia National Pyrogov, Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia in Ukraine.

As per reports, Jindal was ill for quite some time and was admitted to the intensive care unit in Emergency Hospital in Vinnytsia. He hailed from Barnala in Punjab.

On Tuesday, the first Indian casualty was reported wherein a 21-year-old Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagouda was shot dead by the Russian troops while he was out in Kharkiv to buy groceries. He was a fourth-year medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University.

Read Also: Russia Ukraine War Live Updates: Indian student dies in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia in hospital

Meanwhile, the government of India is evacuating stranded Indian nationals from Ukraine under Operation Ganga. India also sent humanitarian relief to Ukraine at the request of Ukrainian authorities. The first shipment of the relief from India to Ukraine was despatched on Tuesday via Poland. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday and decided to send four Union ministers to the neighbouring countries of the war-torn country and evacuate the stranded Indians.

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Amid the ongoing tensions in Ukraine, the Indian government has asked the family members of Indian Embassy officials who reside in Kyiv to return to India. Due to escalating tensions amid claims of regular ceasefire violations by both Ukrainian and Russia-backed rebel troops in the country’s east, this advisory was issued on Sunday, February 20.

The official statement said that in view of the continued high levels of tensions and uncertainties with respect to the situation in Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily. Available commercial flights and charter flights may be availed for travel, for an orderly and timely departure.

Indian students in Ukraine have been advised to get in touch with their student contractors. The statement added that Indian students are advised to also get in touch with respective student contractors for updates on charter flights, and also continue to follow Embassy Facebook, website and Twitter for any update. This alert comes after India issued a similar warning to its citizens, urging them to return to India and leave Ukraine temporarily.

However, students have complained that they are unable to fly commercially since ticket costs have risen substantially. The situation on the ground has deteriorated drastically, with Ukraine conducting civil defence drills as a substantial number of civilians from the Luhansk and Donetsk areas have begun to flee because of the ongoing shelling. The Ukrainian government is arming those who remain in the country. According to reports, over 18,000 Indians in Ukraine need to be evacuated. Flying out of Ukraine is also getting more difficult, with Lufthansa, one of the world’s leading airlines, suspending service this weekend due to heightened tensions with Russia.

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Tensions between the West and Russia continue to escalate as concerns grow that Moscow may attack Kyiv, an allegation that Russia has repeatedly refuted.

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Amid ongoing tensions over a possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia, India has advised its citizens in Ukraine to consider leaving the country for the time being.

The Embassy of India situated in Kyiv released an official statement. The statement said that in view of uncertainties of the current situation in Ukraine, Indian nationals, particularly students whose stay is not essential should consider leaving Ukraine temporarily.

The notice further requested Indian nationals to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the Embassy to reach them where required. The Embassy also ensured Indian citizens in Ukraine that it continues to function normally to provide all services to them.

Russia, which flatly denies any intentions of invading Ukraine, presently controls Crimea, which it invaded in 2014, and backs separatist fighters in the eastern Donbas area.

Not just India, in the past few days, many other countries are working towards cutting their diplomatic staff in Ukraine, and have advised their citizens to leave the country. The United States, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Australia, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are among the nations that have asked their citizens to leave Ukraine.

Moscow has reportedly expanded its military presence in Belarus, Crimea, and western Russia in the last 48 hours, according to reports. New satellite photographs indicate a major build-up of Russian soldiers in the region, including assault helicopters and fighter-bomber planes.

Read Also: Andhra Pradesh: CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy lifts night curfew; special incentives for doctors announced, know more

According to a US official, his administration does not know whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a final decision to invade, but that the Kremlin is seeking a pretext to justify military action, which might begin with intensive aircraft bombing. Tensions have been created in Ukraine due to unpredictability over the possible Russian invasion.

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In what is being viewed as the biggest evacuation operation in recent times, the government has begun efforts to bring back Indians stranded abroad. The Centre has also started discussions with state governments on preparation of quarantine facilities for the returnees. While the first phase is likely to start with countries in the Gulf region, Indians stranded in the UK, other parts of Europe, and the US will be considered after that.

Three days after the Government of India said it is making plans to evacuate Indians stranded overseas, the Indian Embassy in the United States began contacting the Indian nationals who wish to return home once the international travel lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic is lifted. However the plan is to start the evacuation from the Gulf countries, where nearly 8 million Indians live and work, followed by other countries.

The Indian Embassy has started sending emails to the Indian community organizations in the US  and those who reached out to it recently. It also provided a website link where interested persons can register their names, but it has not announced any travel date yet. Once the plan is implemented, it may turn out to be the largest evacuation operation ever  While the numbers are dynamic, they could go up to 2 lakh . New Delhi had in 1990 airlifted 1.7 lakh people from Kuwait. That had been the biggest ever evacuation measure till date.

However, sources said the evacuation will be staggered and prioritised according to several factors—their need, medical condition, urgency and the concerned state government’s capacity. Only Indians who are Covid-negative will be brought back and a system will be evolved to make sure this criterion is fulfilled. For this, either assistance of local authorities will be taken or special medical teams will be sent. Only Indians who are Covid-negative will be brought back and a system will be evolved to make sure this criterion is fulfilled. For this, either assistance of local authorities will be taken or special medical teams will be sent.

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Iran granted the Indian Embassy consular access to 18 Indian crew members of the detained British vessel, the Iranian ambassador to Britain, Hamid Baeidinejad, said.

Minister of State in External Affairs, V Muraleedharan in a tweet, on Thursday evening said, the Indian crew members are safe and doing fine. 

“Vessel ‘Stena Impero’ currently stationed at Bandar Shahid Bahonar, a short distance from Bandar Abbas port. Our Ambassador has conveyed all crew are on board and safe,” he added.

He also assured that the government will continue to push for early release of detained Indian nationals.

Also Read: Lok Sabha unites for action against Azam Khan for his sexist remarks

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the ‘Stena Impero’ last Friday, after the British-flagged oil tanker allegedly collided with an Iranian fishing boat, according to an official report. The report also stated that there were 18 Indian and five crew members from Russia, the Philippines, Latvia and other countries on board. 

“The captain is Indian, but the tanker is UK-flagged,” said Allahmorad Afifipour, the director general of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Hormuzgan province.

Also Read: Mohammad Amir to retire from Test cricket

 “Similar access is underway to other 5 crew from other nationalities. Indian embassy has reported to find the crew being very calm with no sense of panic,” the Iranian ambassador to Britain also added.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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