New Delhi: Ukraine on Thursday called for a transparent and impartial investigation into the detention of six of its citizens in Mizoram, strongly rejecting any suggestion of their involvement in terrorist activities and accused Russia of trying to “drive a wedge between Ukraine and India”.“Ukrainian nationals were detained for allegedly entering Mizoram without permission and suspected illegal activities. An American citizen was also detained in connection with the case. According to reports, the individuals are accused of assisting certain entities in Myanmar that are believed to have links to anti-India insurgent groups.External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “There are certain areas that are restricted in India, and certain protected areas. So for those areas, you need permission to travel there, and whether they had this special permission or not, that is in the court now. It will be presented, and after that, we will know… I understand they would want some documents to travel to that part of India.“Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksandr Polishchuk recently met with Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and sought consular access to the detained citizens.Ukraine’s embassy said in a statement, “Ukraine firmly rejects any hint about the possible involvement of the Ukrainian state in supporting terrorist activities. Ukraine is a state that faces the consequences of Russian terrorism on a daily basis and, for that reason, takes a principled and uncompromising stance in countering all forms of terrorism.”The embassy also expressed “serious concern” over media reports that actions in the case were “motivated” by information from the Russian side, and described the situation as indicative of a “potentially planned and politically motivated nature”.Referring to relations with India, Ukraine said both countries have already reaffirmed their common position on combating terrorism. It cited the joint statement issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine on August 23, 2024, where both sides strongly condemned terrorism, said there can be no justification for it, and underlined the need for international cooperation in line with international law and the UN Charter.Building on this, Ukraine said any allegations related to terrorism should be rigorously investigated on the basis of verified facts, transparent processes and full intergovernmental cooperation. It also stressed the need for objectivity, transparency and impartiality in the investigation.

Ukraine expressed its readiness for “active cooperation” between its authorities and Indian counterparts, particularly under the bilateral treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, which provides for comprehensive cooperation through designated authorities.The statement also underlined that Ukraine has no interest in any activity that could jeopardize India’s security and alleged that “it is Russia, as an aggressor state, which seeks to create a rift between the friendly countries – Ukraine and India, under every circumstance.”Ukraine also warned that any attempt to use the case to defame it or create mistrust in India-Ukraine relations would be seen as a deliberate attempt to damage bilateral relations, which it said is continuously developing and has strong potential to further deteriorate.