New Delhi: An Air India plane that took off to bring back Indians from Ukraine Thursday was called back to Delhi after the conflict-torn country’s airspace closed down for civil aircraft operations amid a military offensive by Russia, news agency PTI reported.
Soon after the departure of the plane, the Ukrainian authorities issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), which stated that flights of civil aircraft within Ukraine “are restricted due to potential hazard for civil aviation”.
Air India and the central government then decided to call back the plane to Delhi, officials said. The plane took an about turn in the Iranian airspace to return to Delhi.
An airline spokesperson confirmed that Air India flight AI 1947 was returning after a NOTAM was issued at Kyiv.
In a dramatic move, Russian President Vladimir Putin early Thursday decided to conduct a ‘special military operation’ to ‘protect’ the Donbas separatist region. The order was followed by Russian forces attacking targets across Ukraine.
In his televised address, Putin also said that Russia will “aim for demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law across the country, as his government warned that Russian forces were attacking cities and urged citizens to hide in shelters to avoid missile attacks on Kyiv.
Also read: Putin launches military operation in Ukraine, asks its soldiers to lay down arms, go home