2 flights to bring back Indians from Ukraine, Centre to bear evacuation cost, say sources

The special flights are scheduled to take off tonight and return with the Indians from Ukraine tomorrow.

Evacuation flights for Indians stranded in Ukraine are being planned, government sources have told India Today TV, adding that the entire cost of evacuation will be borne by the Centre. Nearly 16,000 Indians continue to be in Ukraine amid Russian military operations in the former Soviet Republic.

Two special planes have been planned to bring back Indians from Ukraine and the Cabinet Committee on Security will meet tomorrow noon to chalk out further evacuation strategies. The planes are scheduled to leave for Romania tonight and return with the Indians tomorrow.

As Ukraine closed its airspace after being invaded, India put into force a host of measures to bring back its citizens safely. Last evening, the foreign office announced that teams would be sent to Ukraine's land borders in Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Romania to assist with the evacuation.

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The External Affairs ministry along with the Embassy in Kyiv have been relentlessly working to help citizens to safety in the war-ravaged country, issuing advisories, setting up round-the-clock helplines, identifying and sharing safe routes out of the area.

Addressing the media last evening, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla spoke about the measures undertaken to facilitate flights out of Ukraine. "This includes removing the cap on the number of passengers that could fly out of Ukraine. We ensured that the number of flights were augmented rapidly - from about twice a week to about two flights a day - and that enabled us to get at least 4,000 of our citizens and students out."

Shringla also listed alternate routes out of Ukraine - on flights through Dubai and Istanbul and other places from Kyiv.