NEW DELHI: Nearly 12,000 Indians have left Ukraine since the first advisory was issued last month and there is not a single Indian left in Kyiv. Evacuation from Kharkhiv is a priority now for the Indian government and the Prime Minister has chaired a high level meeting to expedite the evacuation.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Ukraine. He expressed his anguish and regret on the fourth year Medical Student, Naveen’s, death. He said that we are concerned about Kharkhiv and Kyiv as it is in the conflict zone and he has emphasised on need to protect our students in conflict zone," said Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
Kharkhiv has majority of the 8000 Indians who are still stranded in Ukraine and all efforts are being made to evacuate them into safe zones from where they can be brought back to India at the earliest.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sent a second team of 25 officials to the four bordering countries of Western Ukraine, to oversee the evacuation process and also assist those who are yet to return.
"About 60 per cent Indians are out, but we are concerned about the safety of the remaining 40 per cent. We have reiterated our demand in Ukraine and Russia to facilitate safe passage of our citizens," said Shringla.
After the weekend curfew was lifted in Kharkhiv and Kyiv yesterday 1400 students in Zapuritzia have moved towards western borders of Ukraine. 700 students gone to Moldova from where they will go to Bucharest. MEA officials will assist Indians citizens to exit Ukraine.
Four Senior Ministers will be landing in the bordering nations of Ukraine to oversee the evacuation.
"Over next three days, 26 more flights have been scheduled. We will increase these as required. IAF plane C17 will leave early morning to bring back our citizens," Foreign Secretary added.
The C 17 aircraft are transport carriers and can accommodate nearly 400 people. Prime Minister Modi had earlier today decided to deploy IAF aircraft for faster evacuation of Indians stranded in Ukraine.
Humanitarian assistance in the form of medicines and other essentials has been sent to Ukraine from Poland today and another flight will go tomorrow. PM Modi has spoken to President of Poland to facilitate safe passage.
MEA is reaching out diplomatically to ensure safety of Indians in Ukraine. Important to provide this corridor to leave Kharkhiv.
The student, Naveen who was killed in Kharkhiv today morning had gone out to buy groceries. There isn’t clarity of what hit him. His body is in the morgue and it would be flown back to Indian in one of the evacuation flights.