Ukraine crisis: Centre arranges two evacuation flights to bring back stranded Indians

New Delhi, February 25

 In a major relief to Indian nationals who are stranded in Ukraine, the government has worked out an evacuation plan with Air India flights flying back the people who have managed to reach the Romania-Ukraine border amid the Russian invasion.

One flight will leave from Delhi and another from Mumbai to Bucharest on Friday night. Sources claimed that Delhi-Bucharest plane is likely to take off at around 9 pm and the flight from Mumbai is likely to depart at 10.30 pm.

Both the flights will make a return journey on Saturday and are expected to reach Delhi and Mumbai before noon, said the officials, sources said.

The Indian government has asked its nationals to reach Ukraine-Romania border by road. Officials will then take them to Bucharest so they can be evacuated in the two Air India flights.

Officials said that the government is focused on evacuating the Indians through Ukraine’s land borders with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania as the Ukrainian government closed the country’s airspace following the Russian military offensive.

“The evacuation flights for the Indians are being arranged and the transportation cost will be completely borne by the government,” a senior government official said.

The government arranged two chartered flights of Air India to the Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday while two flights are likely for Saturday from Budapest to bring back the Indians possibly via neighbouring countries of Ukraine free of cost. Nearly 20,000 Indians—mainly students—are currently stranded in Ukraine.

The distance between the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the Romanian border is approximately 600 k, and it takes anywhere between 8.5 to 11 hours to cover the distance by road, the officials said.

“The distance from the Ukraine-Romania border to Bucharest is approximately 500 km and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road.  The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 km and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road,” the official said.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Friday said it is working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary.

“At present, teams are getting in place at the following checkpoints: Chop-Zahony Hungarian border near Uzhhorod, Porubne-Siret Romanian border near Chernivtsi,” it said.

Indian nationals, especially students, living closest to these border checkpoints are advised to depart in an organised manner in coordination with officials from the Ministry of External Affairs to actualise this option, the Embassy said.

An Air India plane to Kyiv returned mid-way on Thursday due to the closure of Ukrainian airspace. On February 22, Air India brought back around 240 Indians from Kyiv. Many people have also come back through flights operated by other carriers, including Ukraine International Airlines.