Patna, Jun 4 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi had managed to stop the Russia-Ukraine war for three hours to provide a safe passage to Indian medical students stuck in the conflict zone, former union law minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has claimed.

While interacting with mediapersons here on Friday, Prasad said that the incident took place when the war was at its peak and a large number of Indian medical students were trapped in Ukraine.

"It was a big challenge for the Indian government to evacuate medical students stranded in Ukraine due to war. When PM Modi asked the high commissioners of India in Ukraine and Russia about the evacuation plan, they said that it is possible only when a ceasefire is observed. They also said that the PM was capable of doing it," Prasad claimed.

"Following their suggestions, the PM spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to stop the war so that the Indian medical students could be evacuated from the affected areas. The PM told the leaders that he would not leave his children in a war zone. Following his conversation, the war was stopped for three hours to give safe passage to Indian students. This is the status of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the world," Prasad said.

A large number of Indian medical students were trapped in Kiev, Kharkiv, Mariupol and other cities after the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine on February 24.