Don't Reach Borders Directly, Government To Indian Students In Ukraine

Indian students who are in conflict-hit Ukraine should try to move towards the western side of the country and stay in nearby towns and not reach the border directly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or MEA said today.

They should go to the border for crossing into neighbouring Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova only after coordinating with the authorities, the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters today.

Over an estimated 8,000 Indians have left Ukraine since the MEA's first advisory before Russia launched the attack on the east European nation, Mr Bagchi said, adding so far 1,396 students have reached India in six evacuation flights under "Operation Ganga".

Three more flights are planned in the next 24 hours - two from Bucharest to Mumbai and Delhi, and one from Budapest to Delhi.

The MEA asked students and their parents not to panic about flight availability. "Flights are not the constraint. Please don't get worried. Once you cross the Ukrainian border, we will ensure more flights. Our main concern is to ensure Indians are able to cross the Ukraine border safely," Mr Bagchi said.

There is no curfew in the capital city Kyiv and people are allowed to get out from there, the MEA spokesperson said, adding Indians should go to Kyiv railway station from where they can take a train towards the western border. The Ukrainian authorities are running trains for free from Kyiv.

Though Russian and Ukrainian forces have fought in Kyiv, intense fighting first began in the eastern border with Russia where two breakaway areas have been recognised as independent by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Indians who are in eastern Ukraine should try to reach the western border if the situation allows, the MEA has said.

Four Union Ministers are going to Ukraine's neighbouring nations to coordinate the evacuation of Indians - VK Singh to Poland, Kiren Rijiju to Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and Jyotiraditya Scindia to Romania and Moldova.

Ukraine's foreign ministry said it is doing its best to facilitate passage of international students at the border, which "has become overwhelmed with the massive influx of people fleeing Russia's armed aggression".

"As active fighting continues, we also believe it is more secure at this time for foreign students to stay at their places of residence in Ukraine. However, do not be misled by Russian disinformation. There is no discrimination based on the race or nationality, including when it comes to the crossing of the state border by foreign citizens," Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russia and Ukraine are holding their first talks since the outbreak of war last week, with Kyiv demanding an "immediate ceasefire" as the number of refugees fleeing the country hit more than 500,000. As the delegations arrived for talks on the border between Belarus and Ukraine on day five of Moscow's invasion, the Ukrainian presidency demanded the ceasefire "and the withdrawal of troops" - which Moscow is almost certain to reject.