Ukraine war was paused for evacuation of Indians due to PM Modi: Rajnath Singh

Listen to Story Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday for his efforts in evacuating Indian students stranded in Ukraine during the . Speaking at a civic reception in London, Singh said that the Prime Minister engaged in discussions with leaders from both Russia and Ukraine to secure a safe corridor for the return of the stranded Indian students.

He emphasized that Modi's diplomatic efforts resulted in a four to five hour pause in the conflict. During his official visit to the UK, Singh remarked, "After the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine began, the parents of our children studying in Ukraine were concerned about their whereabouts and personal safety.

The Prime Minister took it upon himself to ensure the safe return of our students from Ukraine. He engaged with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also communicated with US President Joe Biden to ensure that any intervention by the US wouldn’t hinder the safe return of the students.

Thanks to his efforts, the fighting was paused for four to five hours, facilitating the safe evacuation of more than 22,000 students from Ukraine.” Singh also highlighted significant investments in public infrastructure development and the digital boom in India. He stated, "When it comes to no other country, apart from India, has 80 crore internet users.

The whole world has acknowledged and spoken highly of our seamless digital transactions through UPI. Approximately 130 lakh crore digital transactions have taken place in our country till date through UPI." A total of 80 flights were operated under by the Central government to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine.

Evacuees were relocated via land routes to neighboring countries such as Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, and subsequently flown out from those locations..