Narendra Modi: the Death of Innocent Children "Painful and Terrifying"

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the death of innocent children was painful and terrifying, a day after a lethal strike by Russian missiles on the Okhmatdyt hospital, Ukraine’s largest children’s medical centre, in Kyiv, Reuters reports.

This latest incident occurred amidst a series of Russian attacks on Monday, which resulted in the deaths of at least 41 Ukrainians across the country.

Ukraine has reported discovering fragments of a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile at the hospital site, while Russia, without providing any evidence whatsoever, claimed that a Ukrainian anti-missile system was responsible for the strike.

Modi’s remarks, made during his visit to the Kremlin, implicitly criticised the actions that led to the loss of civilian lives.

Earlier, Putin had warmly welcomed Modi, emphasising the strategic ties between Russia and India.

Modi stated, “Whether it is war, conflict, or a terrorist attack, any person who believes in humanity is pained when there is a loss of lives. But even in that, when innocent children are killed, the heart bleeds, and that pain is very terrifying.”

This is not the first time Modi has addressed Russia’s actions in Ukraine with a critical tone.

In September 2022, he told Putin that “today’s era is not an era of war,” to which Putin acknowledged Modi’s concerns.

Despite these occasional criticisms, India has not however officially condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Instead, India has capitalised on the situation by purchasing record amounts of discounted Russian oil, as Western sanctions have severely impacted Moscow’s trade.

For Russia, India has emerged as a crucial partner both economically and diplomatically.

This partnership has been pivotal for Moscow in demonstrating that Western efforts to isolate it have not been entirely successful.

Putin, prior to Modi’s comments, highlighted the strong bilateral relationship, describing it as a “particularly privileged strategic partnership.”

He expressed gratitude for Modi’s efforts in seeking peaceful resolutions to the conflict, stating, “I thank you for the attention you are paying to the most acute problems, including trying to find ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, above all by peaceful means, of course.”

Modi responded by underscoring the necessity of peace, saying, “As a friend, I have always said that peace is necessary for our future generations.

“Solutions are not possible on the battleground. Amidst guns, bullets, and bombs, peace talks cannot be successful. We have to find the path to peace only through talks.”

The timing of the hospital attack was particularly challenging for Modi, coinciding with the beginning of his two-day visit to Russia.

His social media post, featuring a photo of him embracing Putin, drew criticism from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky called it “a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day.”

The incident also attracted attention from the United States.

The U.S. State Department expressed concerns about India’s relationship with Russia, while President Joe Biden condemned the recent attacks on Ukraine, describing them as “a horrific reminder of Russia’s brutality.”

Russia, on its part, maintained that its military operations targeted strategic military sites and reiterated its position that it does not intentionally target civilians.

Modi also raised the issue of an early discharge of Indian nationals who were “misled” into serving in the Russian army.

A number of cases of Indians who were lured to Russia with the promise of lucrative jobs or education and ended up fighting against Ukraine have emerged this year and at least four Indian nationals have been killed in the war.