India on Friday said that it is working on establishing alternate routes to evacuate its nationals from Ukraine that came under Russian attack on Thursday following President Vladimir Putin's order of a special military operation. The Indian Embassy in Hungary has said that talks are underway with Romania and Hungary to establish evacuation routes.
"Government of India & Embassy of India working to establish evacuation routes from Romania & Hungary. At present, teams are getting in place at checkpoints -- CHOP-ZAHONY Hungarian border near Uzhhorod and PORUBNE-SIRET Romanian Border near Chernivtsi," it said in a statement.
"Indian nationals, especially students living closest to the border checkpoints are being advised to depart first in an organised manner, in coordination with the team from the Ministry of External Affair to actualize this option," it added.
"Once above routes are operational, Indian nationals travelling by their own arrangements for transport would be advised to proceed to the border checkpoints, and remain in touch with the helpline numbers set up at respective checkpoints for facilitation through the border," the statement said.
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It advised students to be in touch with student contractors, for orderly movement. It also asked students to carry passports, cash preferably in USD for any emergency expenses and other essentials. Besides, they have been asked to carry Covid-19 double vaccination certificate, if available.
The embassy has also asked Indian nationals and students to take printouts of the Indian flag and paste them prominently on vehicles and buses while travelling.
'Paste Tricolour prominently on vehicles': India says establishing evacuation routes from Romania, Hungary.
On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had said that teams of the Ministry officials have been sent to Ukraine's land borders with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania to provide assistance to fleeing Indian nationals. He added that the Indian Air Force is ready to airlift nationals stranded in Ukraine, along with commercial aircraft, adding that New Delhi is in touch with both Moscow and Kyiv as a "stakeholder".
Around 4,000 Indians have already been evacuated from Ukraine. The repatriation efforts stalled on Thursday after the closure of the Ukrainian airspace.
Last night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for an immediate end to the violence and the resolution of disputes through dialogue. He also conveyed that the topmost priority of the government is the safety and security of Indian nationals, including Indian students, and their evacuation from Ukraine.
The Indian embassy in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is operational. The embassy has urged Indians to find shelter or if possible then leave the country by land.
Russia on Thursday attacked Ukraine after months of tension over the neighbour's proximity to NATO, an intergovernmental military alliance of 30 countries including the US.
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