Fifteen flights landed in India during last 24 hours, bringing back more than 3,000 Indians
Highlights
- Indian government on Thursday issued its third advisory for its students in Kharkiv amid tensions.
- Indian government asked its citizens to leave the city 'immediately'.
- Fifteen flights landed in India during last 24 hours, bringing back more than 3,000 Indians: MEA.
In light of the deteriorating situation in Ukraine's second most populous city of Kharkiv, the Indian government on Thursday issued its third advisory for its students in the city.
In a series of advisories, the Indian government asked its citizens to leave the city 'immediately'. "By 1800 hours, reach Pisochyn, Babai or Bezlyudivka," the statement read.
The embassy also released a form for the students, and said, "All Indian Nationals who are in KHARKIV excluding PISOCHYN, please fill up details contained in the form on an urgent basis".
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the pace of India's evacuation operation from Ukraine is accelerating and about 1,000 Indians have left Kharkiv to nearby Pisochyn pursuant to its advisory a day ago.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing that the Indian side is in touch with both Ukrainian and Russian authorities to examine the modalities of how Indians can be evacuated from both Kharkiv and Sumy.
Fifteen flights landed in India during last 24 hours, bringing back more than 3,000 Indians, he said. Bagchi also informed that 18 flights have been scheduled for next 24 hours to bring back Indian nationals from Ukraine.
A total of about 18,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since our first advisory was released, he said.
India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to the Russian military offensive.
Also Read | 'IMMEDIATELY REPEAT IMMEDIATELY': India's urgent advisory asks citizens to leave Kharkiv
