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Leave Ukraine, India tells its citizens as Russia steps up missile strikes
The Indian advisory on Thursday followed one issued on October 10 that only urged Indians to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine. On Thursday, New Delhi asked all citizens to leave by available means
NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday advised its nationals in Ukraine to leave the country “at the earliest” following a deterioration in the security situation and an escalation in hostilities.
The advisory, issued by the Indian embassy in Kyiv, also called on Indians not to travel to Ukraine. The advisory followed another issued on October 10 that had only urged Indians to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine.
The Indian move follows a sharp increase in Russian drone and missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and residential buildings in Kyiv and several other cities. Russian President Vladimir Putin imposed martial law on Wednesday in four Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia, and there were reports of people fleeing the occupied city of Kherson after warnings of an impending assault.
“In view of the deteriorating security situation and recent escalation of hostilities across Ukraine, Indian nationals are advised against travelling to Ukraine,” the Indian embassy said in the advisory posted on social media.
“The Indian citizens, including students, currently in Ukraine are advised to leave Ukraine at the earliest by available means,” the advisory added.
There was no official word on the number of Indians currently in Ukraine, though people familiar with the matter said small numbers of students had made their way back to the country in recent months to resume their classes.
The people said the number of Indians who had returned to Ukraine is understood to be a few hundred. However, most of those who had returned had not registered with the Indian mission, they said.
In the earlier advisory of October 10, the embassy asked Indian nationals to avoid non-essential travel to and within Ukraine, and to strictly follow safety and security guidelines issued by the Ukrainian government. It also asked Indian nationals to keep the mission informed about their presence in Ukraine to enable the embassy to reach out to them when required.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, India brought back more than 22,500 of its citizens, most of them medical and engineering students. Thousands of them were evacuated in harrowing conditions by road and railway to neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania and then put on special flights to India.
In recent days, Indian ambassador Harsh Jain has met Ukrainian officials such as Oleksii Danilov, the secretary of the national security and defence council of Ukraine, and discussed the current situation.
During a weekly news briefing on October 14, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Indians in Ukraine had been asked to take “certain preventive and precautionary measures” after a renewed level of bombing across cities.
“We are trying to ascertain how many Indians are there, including some students who have gone back. I don’t have a number to share with you…this will be a very informal number, so better I do not get into it,” Bagchi said at the time.
The embassy in Kyiv was trying to contact all Indians in Ukraine and building up a database.
“All [Indians] may not be in danger…but yes, depending on the situation on the ground, as well as developments that happen, our embassy issues advisories for travellers as well as Indians who are resident there,” he added.
