NEW DELHI: Indian ambassador to Ukraine Partha Satpathy on Thursday told Indian nationals to stay calm and “face the situation with fortitude” while efforts are made to find a solution to address their concerns.
In a message posted on the social media accounts of the Indian embassy in Kyiv hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a military operation against Ukraine, Satpathy acknowledged the situation is “highly tense and very uncertain and this, of course, is causing a lot of anxiety”.
The embassy posted its third advisory for Indian nationals soon after, which noted that martial law has made movement difficult. “We are aware that certain places are hearing air sirens/bomb warnings. In case you are faced with such a situation, google maps has a list of nearby bomb shelters, many of which are located in underground metros,” the Indian embassy said, sharing a link to bomb shelters in Ukraine's capital Kyiv.
The Indian government’s main priority is the safety and evacuation of some 20,000 nationals, most of them students. Following the closure of Ukrainian airspace, Indian authorities put contingency plans into operation and activated alternate evacuation routes.
{{/usCountry}}The Indian government’s main priority is the safety and evacuation of some 20,000 nationals, most of them students. Following the closure of Ukrainian airspace, Indian authorities put contingency plans into operation and activated alternate evacuation routes.
{{/usCountry}}An Air India flight that was on its way to Kyiv turned around in Iranian airspace and returned to Delhi.
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Satpathy’s message conveyed the impact of the Russian military operation.
“Today early morning, we all woke up with the news that Ukraine is under attack…The airspace is closed, railway schedules are in flux and roads are crammed,” he said.
“I would request everyone to stay calm and face the situation with fortitude. The Embassy continues to remain open and operate in Kyiv,” he added.
Satpathy further said the Indian government, the external affairs ministry and the embassy in Kyiv “are seized of the situation and working on a mission mode to find a solution to this difficult situation”. He added, “I will reach out to you with more information.”
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The ambassador referred to two advisories issued by the embassy on Thursday and said: “I urge you to please stay wherever you are, in your familiar locations. Those who are in transit, please return to your familiar places of habitation. Those who are stranded here in Kyiv, please get in touch with your friends and colleagues in Kyiv, universities and other community members, so that you can temporarily lodge there.”
The embassy also reached out to the Indian diaspora to assist Indian nationals.
Nothing that he was “inundated with calls”, Satpathy said Indians should call the emergency lines if there is a “critical emergency”. He asked the Indians to follow the embassy’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates.