New Delhi: India Wednesday issued a fresh advisory for its nationals in Ukraine — especially students — urging them not to panic, and said the government is in talks with its counterparts in Kyiv to increase the number of flights between the countries.
The advisory, issued in the form of ‘frequently asked questions’ (FAQs), said the Indian embassy in Ukraine continues to “function normally to provide all services to its nationals” while issuing emergency helpline numbers.
India’s advisory comes a day after Russia announced that its troops were readying for a pull-back, after completing drills which triggered a diplomatic crisis between Russia on the one side and the US and the European Union (EU) on the other.
According to sources, many Indian students in Ukraine and their families in India are “anxious” in the wake of fewer flights between the two countries.
“We are aware that many Indian students are currently in Ukraine, and their families are anxious about their wards, particularly about getting back to India. Discussions are underway with civil aviation authorities and various airlines to increase the number of flights between India and Ukraine,” an official said.
According to the FAQ issued by the embassy, “it is important to maintain calm and not give rise to panic. Those desirous of travelling back to India are advised to book available commercial flight tickets”.
The embassy also added that the Ministry of External Affairs is also in discussions with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and various airlines to increase flights.
The Ministry of External Affairs said as of now, available flight connections are Delhi-Kyiv (Ukraine International Airlines), and other connecting flights via Sharjah, Dubai, Almaty, Frankfurt and Doha.
The Indian embassy also stressed that tickets should be purchased from verified and reliable sources, and urged people to “not forward unverified news, and to be aware of potential scams”.
Assuaging concerns of some of the students about if they will be able to attend classes virtually, the Indian government said it is “engaging with Ukrainian authorities for appropriate regularisation of the education process”.
Also read: Ukraine crisis is India’s problem too, not just big powers’ fight for influence
Panic came after after NATO statement
The panic among the students was caused after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the grouping has not seen “any sign of de-escalation on the ground in and around Ukraine”.
Meanwhile, Ukraine came under a massive cyber-attack by alleged Russian hackers that affected crucial government websites.
The EU has told Russia that it will “not accept” unilateral changes to its region, and will work with the US for a “sovereign” Ukraine. The EU has also briefed India about its concerns and “hopes” New Delhi will act as a “like-minded country”, according to an EU official.
Despite Russia hinting at a de-escalation, US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that it will respond “decisively” in the event Russia attacks Ukraine.
(Edited by Manoj Ramachandran)
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