Morning Digest: Indian officials wait for pause in fighting to commence evacuation from Kharkiv; GST revenues up by 26% in February, and more

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Indian officials in Russian city waiting for pause in fighting for evacuation from Kharkiv

India on Tuesday said a team of officials who have been rushed to the Russian city of Belgorod are unable to help trapped Indians in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Belgorod is located 40 kilometres from Kharkiv which is experiencing heavy bombardment by Russian forces that is working as an “obstruction” before the much-needed evacuation. 

Russia-Ukraine crisis: MEA redoubles evacuation efforts

The war in Ukraine claimed its first Indian casualty as a 21 year old student belonging to Karnataka was killed on Tuesday in an attack by Russian forces in Ukraine’s Kharkiv city. The victim, identified as Naveen S. Gyanagoudar was killed while standing outside a grocery as he waited to buy food. It is unclear whether Mr. Naveen was killed by Russian shelling on a government building nearby or in the gunfire that followed by Russian soldiers, said officials. 

Kremlin says ‘too soon to assess’ Ukraine talks

The Kremlin on Tuesday said it was too early to draw conclusions from a first round of talks held with Ukraine on ending the war following Moscow’s invasion last week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the talks and that “it is too soon to assess” their outcome.

Tension mounts for students in Eastern Ukraine