Air India starts evacuation flights to bring back Indians stranded in war-hit Ukraine

Air India will operate four flights to bring back stranded Indians from war-hit Ukraine. One of the flights has already left for Romania.

Air India is operating four flights to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia. As the invasion entered its third day, Russian forces closed in on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, where heavy fighting was underway.

Two flights will be sent to bordering Romania and one to Hungary and another has already left for the evacuation process.

With Russia announcing a military operation in Ukraine, thousands of Indian students enrolled in Ukrainian higher education institutions — mostly studying medicine — are in a state of panic and pleading with authorities to ensure their safe return to India.

“The government of India is completely seized with the matter. Every Indian will go back home. Planes are being lined up. Personnel is being lined up, but it’s a warzone. We will have to work out the logistics and find the modalities to reach the West,” Indian Ambassador to Ukraine Partha Satpathy said.

“We have to be realistic about the situation. So, convey to your friends wherever they are in Ukraine that things will be fine,” he was seen telling anxious Indian nationals in a video shared by a student.

The Indian government is making all possible efforts to evacuate Indians from Ukraine through its land border crossings with its neighbouring countries, Satpathy said.