Indian Embassy shares 5 options for border crossing to leave Ukraine

KYIV [UKRAINE]: After the Indian embassy in Kyiv issued an advisory asking Indian citizens currently in Ukraine to leave at the earliest, the mission shared information on five available options for border crossing for Indian nationals.

As hostilities continue to escalate across Ukraine, the Indian embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday issued an advisory, warning against travelling to the war zone and also advising Indian citizens, currently in Ukraine to leave at the earliest.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi shared the available options for border crossing for Indian nationals based on the available information with the embassy in Kyiv.

The information was regarding leaving Ukraine by crossing the border of Ukraine-Hungary, Ukraine-Slovakia border, Ukraine-Moldova, Ukraine-Poland and Ukraine-Romania.

The Embassy asked that the Indian citizens crossing the borders should continue to take safety precautions during travel. For the Ukraine-Hungary border, the Embassy said that the checkpoints are located in Zakarpathia region (Tysa-only for vehicles, Dzvinkove, Luzhanka, Vylok, Chop).

A convenient option is to travel to Chop city by train, it added. To cross the border, the mission said, Indian nationals should have a valid passport, valid Ukrainian resident permit (Posvidka), Student card/student certificate (if any) and preferably an air ticket.

For the Ukraine-Slovakia border, checkpoints are located in Zakarpathia Region (Uzhhorod-only for vehicles, Malyi Bereznyi, Mali Selmencionly for pedestrians).

Unless they already have valid Schengen/ Slovak visa, Indian nationals need to obtain visa at the border check post, it added. To obtain the visa and cross the border, it noted, Indian nationals should have valid passport, valid Ukrainian resident permit (Posvidka), Student card/student certificate (if any) and preferably air ticket.

Moreover for Ukraine-Moldova border, checkpoints are located in Chernivetska (Kelmentsy, Rososhany, Sokyryany, Mamalyha), Vinnytska (MohylivPodilskyi) and Odesska (Palanka-Mayaki, Starokozache) regions. Unless they already have a valid Moldovan visa, Indian nationals need to obtain a Moldovan transit visa in advance at the Embassy of Moldova in Kyiv.

To cross the border Indian nationals should have a valid passport, valid Ukrainian resident permit (Posvidka), Student card/student certificate (if any), Air ticket and Moldovan transit Visa.

For Ukraine-Poland, checkpoints are located in Lvivska (Rava-Ruska,Shegyni, Krakivets, Grushiv), Volynska (Yagodyn) regions. Unless they already have valid Schengen/Polish visa, Indian nationals need to obtain Schengen/Polish visa in advance at the Consulate General of Poland in Lviv.

To cross the border Indian nationals should have valid passport, valid Ukrainian resident permit (Posvidka), student card/student certificate (if any), preferably air ticket, Schengen/Polish Visa.

Ukraine-Romania border checkpoints are located in Zakarpathia (Dyakove-only for vehicles, Solotvyno) and Chernivetska (Porubne) regions. Unless they already have valid Romanian visa, Indian nationals need to obtain an advance Romanian visa at the Consulate General of Romania in Chernivtsi or Solotvino.

To cross the border, Indian nationals should have a valid passport, valid Ukrainian resident permit (Posvidka), student card/student certificate (if any), preferably an air ticket, and Romanian visa. Moreover, the contact numbers for the Embassy of India, Kyiv or the Indian Embassies in the above countries were also shared for any assistance regarding border crossing.

Recently, multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv in the morning, which was later reported to be targeted attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, using Iranian-made drones.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least five people had been killed in Russia's attacks on the Ukrainian capital. "From under the rubble of a building in the centre of the capital, which was hit by a Russian kamikaze drone yesterday morning, the body of another deceased resident - an elderly woman - was recovered.

This is already the fifth victim of Russia's barbaric attack on the capital on October 17," Klitschko tweeted.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 30 per cent of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed due to Russian attack, thereby leaving no room for negotiations with "Putin's regime".

"Another kind of Russian terrorist attack: targeting Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure. Since Oct 10, 30% of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed, causing massive blackouts across the country. No space left for negotiations with Putin's regime," he said in a tweet.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has only escalated after a truck recently exploded on the Crimea road bridge, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire.

The Crimean Bridge was opened in 2018 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, four years after Moscow annexed Crimea, and was designed to link the peninsula to Russia's transport network.