Three more flights scheduled to evacuate Indian nationals: MEA

Three more flights are scheduled to evacuate Indian nationals from Ukraine in the next 24 hours amid the ongoing situation in the country, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. 

"Over the next 24 hours, three more flights are scheduled --two from Bucharest (Romania), which will land in Mumbai and Delhi and one flight from Budapest (Hungary) which will land in Delhi," the MEA spokesperson said on Monday during a media briefing. 

Assuring the Indian students and their family members, Bagchi said that New Delhi will add more flights as needed to bring back its nationals while urging them not to get worried. "Do not get worried. Once you (stranded citizens) cross the Ukrainian border, we will make sure to bring you back.

The main focus is to ensure that Indians are able to cross over from Ukraine and neighbouring countries that I mentioned," he said. Meanwhile, India today opened a new route in the Western part of Ukraine through Moldova to evacuate its citizens.

Speaking at a special briefing on Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine, Arindam Bagchi said, "I am happy to announce that we have also been able to open a new route through Moldova. 

An MEA team reached Moldova today morning as Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla mentioned yesterday. That team is now in place. They will assist in the evacuation operations of Indians through Romania as Moldova is land-locked." 

Also read: Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Sixth evacuation flight with 240 Indian nationals lands in Delhi

He also informed that the government is sending four Union Ministers as four special envoys to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine. 

"Decision to deploy special envoys to the four countries bordering Ukraine. Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia will be going to Romania, Kiren Rijiju to Slovak Republic, Hardeep Puri to Hungary, VK Singh to Poland to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process," Bagchi said further. 

"Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will travel to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuation mission and help students," he said. The union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. 

Also read: India opens new route through Moldova to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine: MEA

Further, the Indian embassy in Ukraine today informed that the weekend curfew has been lifted in Kyiv. The embassy said that Ukraine Railways is putting special trains for evacuations and advised all students to make their way to the railway station for a journey to the western parts.