Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Evacuation Flights for Indians Stranded In Ukraine Begin

External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said he is personally monitoring the progress of Indian teams working on the ground to evacuate Indian nationals from Ukraine.
February 26, 2022

At least 400 Indian students have taken shelter in a basement after Russian troops captured the city of Sumi, bordering Russia, in Ukraine. They have appealed to the Indian government to evacuate them from the eastern part of Ukraine. Most of these students are the students of Sumi State Medical College. The Russian army has captured the Ukrainian city of Sumi, located about 50 miles from the Russian border.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, an Air India flight departed for Mumbai with Indian passengers from Bucharest, Romania. This flight reached the city of Bucharest from Mumbai in the morning. The flight, with 470 students, is expected to reach Mumbai at 9 p.m. The next evacuation flight will come from Hungary to Delhi. At the same time, two Air India flights are to reach Delhi from Romania.

External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said he is personally monitoring the efforts to evacuate Indian nationals from Ukraine and the government is making progress.

The Ukrainian government imposed martial law in the country on Thursday. This would enable the authorities to restrict the movement of civilians, block rallies and even ban political parties in view of national security. This move means the military will be enforcing the law and not the police.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine has advised its citizens not to move to any of the border posts without coordination with its officials. “All Indian citizens in Ukraine are advised to not move to any border posts without prior coordination with the government of India officials at the border posts (helpline numbers established) and the emergency numbers of Embassy of India, Kyiv,” a government statement read.