New Delhi: Several Indian students trying to leave Ukraine are facing difficulties in exiting the country. Videos of the students have gone viral showing how they have been waiting on road for several hours in cold weather in hopes of being able to leave the embattled place.
"We have been waiting for 10 hours at this (Romania) border. No one has come to rescue us," Raghvendra, one of the students, said in a video as he breaks down while sharing his ordeal. "We left at 2 pm yesterday. Till now, no one has contacted us. It was better if we were hit by a missile. They are just saying that officials are here to help you out. Where are they?" the student rued. Another student, Pulkit Srivastava, said there was no one at the Romanian border to evacuate them.
"We were told to come here. We reached here yesterday. And it is 7 pm now. There are around 5,000 students stuck here but not a single person from our (Indian) embassy. It is minus 5 but no one cares about us," he said. Another student, a female, said they (border patrol) were opening the gates after every five minutes but were allowing only Ukrainians to exit the country.
While countries like Poland and Hungary have welcomed fleeing Ukrainians, an Indian volunteer in Poland said on Sunday that Indian citizens seeking to flee Ukraine into Poland are stuck at the border leading into Medyka, Poland, and unable to cross. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv said that Indian citizens are being evacuated from Ukraine to Romania and Hungary. But some have arrived at the border with Poland apparently unaware of this and are stuck. Ruchir Kataria, the volunteer said that the Indians seeking to cross at Medyka were told in broken English: “Go to Romania.” But they had already made long journeys on foot to the border, and have no way to reach the border with Romania hundreds of kilometers away.
"Indian citizens are being evacuated from Ukraine through Romania and Hungary. We are continuously exploring and working to open up more borders with neighbouring countries for our citizens," read an advisory from Indian embassy in Ukraine today.
The advisory asked Indians to head to Ukraine's Western regions to leave conflict zones “as and when it is safe and there's considerable movement out of regions of active conflict”. "As and when the curfew is lifted, and there is considerable movement of people in your respective neighborhoods, Indian Nationals are advised to use nearby railway stations for movement out of regions of active conflict and proceed towards the Western regions," read the advisory.
It issued a second advisory today asking people in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kyiv cities not to venture towards railway stations or move out. "Based on the latest inputs, intense fighting is underway in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kyiv. It is reiterated, Indian nationals in these cities, and other cities where curfew has been applied, are NOT advised to venture towards railway stations until curfew has been lifted and considerable Indian movement is renewed (sic)," read the second advisory.
13,000 Indian students still stranded in Ukraine
As many as 688 Indian nationals returned on Sunday from strife-torn Ukraine on board three Air India evacuation flights from Romanian capital Bucharest and Hungarian capital Budapest. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that approximately 13,000 Indians are stranded in Ukraine as of now, and the government is making efforts to bring them back as soon as possible.
"You know it is an extremely sensitive situation there (Ukraine). In this situation, we are talking with each Indian national, including students, through telecommunications," he said. "We will bring them back as soon as possible," he said. Addressing the returnees, Scindia said, "I know you all have been through a very, very difficult time, a very, very trying time. But know this that the PM is with you at every step, the Indian government is with you at every step, and 130 crore Indians are with you at every step." The Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civil aircraft operations since February 24 morning when the Russian military offensive began. Therefore, the Indian evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest and Budapest.
Following the Russian military offensive against Ukraine, India has brought back a total of 907 stranded citizens from that country since Saturday when the first evacuation flight from Bucharest with 219 people on board landed in Mumbai under Operation Ganga.
The second flight (AI1942) departed from Bucharest with 250 Indian citizens and landed at the Delhi airport around 2.45 AM on Sunday, officials said. With 240 Indian nationals on board, the third evacuation flight from Bucharest landed at the Delhi airport around 9.20 AM on Sunday, followed by another Tata Group-run carrier's flight from Bucharest with 198 Indian nationals at 5.35 PM.
Air India spokesperson said the carrier plans to send two more planes to Bucharest and Budapest on Sunday so that they can operate fifth and sixth evacuation flights but it is "all highly tentative". Early this morning, Scindia welcomed the evacuees of the AI1942 flight at the Delhi airport by handing out roses to them.
