Indian Embassy in Kyiv issues fresh advisory for citizens, students in Ukraine

Kiev: In a fresh set of guidelines issued on Friday, the Embassy of India in Kiev has advised its students and other Indian nationals in Ukraine to not to move to any of the border posts without coordination with its officials.

The Embassy also informed them that the government is working on establishing evacuation routes through Romania and Hungary.

As per the statement, students living close to CHOP-ZAHONY Hungarian border near Uzhhorod and PORUBNE-SIRET Romanian border near Chernivtsi will depart first, in coordination with teams of the External Affairs Ministry.

"Once above routes are operational, Indian nationals traveling by their own arrangements for transport would be advised to proceed to above border checkpoints…for facilitation through the border," it added.

The advisory also advised them to remain in touch with the helpline numbers set up at respective checkpoints, for facilitation through the border and stated that numbers would be shared once the control rooms are establised.

The advisory further asked students to remain in touch with student contractors for orderly movement and advised to print Indian flags and paste it on vehicles while traveling.

It also directed the Indian nationals to carry essential items along with them, including passport, cash, and Covid-19 double vaccination certificate.

"Carry passport, cash preferably in USD for any emergency expenses, and other essentials. Covid-19 double vaccination certificate, if available," the advisory states.

The first batch of Indian students have left Chernivtsi for the Ukraine-Romania border, according to ANI.

There are around 16,000 Indians in Ukraine and many of them are students. An Air India flight sent for evacuation took off at 7:30 am yesterday but had to return after Ukraine closed its airspace for commercial flights.

"Since the air space in Ukraine has been closed, we have stopped the measures to bring back Indians via flights. We are planning alternative measures to bring back Indians. Ministry of External Affairs has decided to send more diplomats to this area to help the Indian embassy," V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs said yesterday.