New Delhi, March 2
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday that 17,000 Indians had left Ukraine since his government’s advisories were issued and that efforts were still ongoing to reach the more difficult-to-access eastern cities.
Indian students who fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine take shelter at a wedding venue in Corbeanca, Romania, March 1, 2022. Picture taken March 1, 2022. REUTERS
The eastern part of Ukraine has been witnessing intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops.
The comments by MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi came hours after the Indian embassy in Ukraine asked all Indians in Kharkiv to leave the city immediately for three safe zones.
Bagchi said that there has been a sharp increase in the number of Indians who have left Ukraine over the recent past.
“We now estimate that nearly 17,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine’s borders since our advisories were issued. This of course includes some Indians who had not registered with the embassy earlier,” Bagchi said.
Bagchi said 15 flights are scheduled over the next 24 hours and some of them are already operating.
“The cities in eastern remain areas of concern for us. Some students were able to board trains out of Kharkiv yesterday night and this morning and we assisted in the process through the student contractors and other partners,” Bagchi said.
