New Delhi: In a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Russian military personnel are making every effort to ensure the evacuation of the Indian citizens from the Ukrainian city of Sumy.

According to a statement of the Russian embassy in India, PM Modi and the Russian President held a discussion on the current situation in Ukraine and the evacuation of Indian citizens from the war-torn country.

In the conversation, which lasted for about 35 minutes as per the sources, Putin informed PM Modi of Russian forces' decision to establish ceasefire in Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy to open humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and foreign citizens.

"However, nationalists, using force and different kinds of provocations, continue to prevent the evacuation of civilians, including foreign citizens, from the battle zones," Putin told PM Modi, as per the Russian embassy.

The embassy further informed that in their conversation, the Russian President pointed out that the Indian students held by the radicals in Kharkiv managed to leave the city only after strong international pressure on the Kyiv authorities.

Putin also told that the Russian military personnel are making every effort to ensure the evacuation of the Indian citizens from Sumy, following which, PM Modi expressed gratitude to the Russian Side for the measures taken to return his compatriots to their homeland.

Further, at the request of Prime Minister Modi, the Russian President outlined his assessments of the course of negotiations between the Russian delegation and the Ukrainian representatives, the third round of which is scheduled to be held today.

Notably, as per a statement from PMO, PM Modi has suggested that a direct conversation between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine may greatly assist the ongoing peace efforts to deal with the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, tensions have escalated since Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24.

The government has been ramping up its operation to evacuate the Indian citizens from Ukraine. Earlier on Sunday, the government informed that nearly 16,000 Indian students have been evacuated from the war-hit country through flights from Ukraine's neighbouring countries under Operation Ganga.