India grapples with evacuation of  nationals amid Ukraine conflict

Indian officials grappled with the complex logistics of evacuating about 16,000 of its citizens from Ukraine, racing to get them toward exit routes in the western part of the war-torn country. More than 470 Indian students were escorted across the border to Romania on Friday.

The predicament of Indian nationals figured in a phone conversation between external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba. Jaishankar tweeted that he had discussed the matter with Kuleba and appreciated his “support for their safe return”.

People familiar with the matter said the situation had become more complicated with fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces moving to the capital, Kyiv. Russian troops entered the northern suburbs of Kyiv on Friday even as missiles hit the city. CNN cited US intelligence officials as saying Kyiv could fall within days.

Kuleba shared his assessment of the current situation during the call he made to Jaishankar, who emphasized that India supports diplomacy and dialogue as the way out.

In a post on Twitter, the embassy in Kyiv said more than 470 students would exit Ukraine and enter Romania through the Porubne-Siret border crossing. “We are moving Indians located at the border to neighbouring countries for onward evacuation,” the embassy said.

“Efforts are on to relocate Indians coming from the hinterland,” the mission added.

The people cited above said India’s primary focus is the safety and evacuation of some 16,000 nationals, most of them students. The external affairs ministry has set up camp offices at Lviv, some 70km from the border with Poland, and Chernivtsi, near the border with Romania. Additional Russian-speaking officials have been sent to the camp offices to facilitate the departure of Indians.

Due to the closure of Ukrainian airspace, the government has organized charter flights from neighbouring countries to evacuate Indians, and two flights reached the Romanian capital of Bucharest on Friday. The full cost for the evacuation will be borne by the government, the people said.

An advisory issued by the embassy said teams of officials were in place at the Chop-Zahony checkpoint on the border with Hungary and at the Porubne-Siret checkpoint on the frontier with Romania. Officials said teams were also in place at the Shehyni-Medyka and Krakowiec border crossings in Poland and Vysne Nemecke border crossing in Slovakia.

Indian nationals were advised to print Indian flags and paste them “prominently on vehicles and buses while travelling” and carry their passports, cash for emergency expenses, and covid vaccination certificates. “In this difficult situation, the Embassy of India requests Indians to continue to remain strong, safe and alert,” the advisory said.

Indian nationals, especially students living closest to Hungarian and Romanian borders, were “advised to depart first in an organized manner, in coordination with teams from the ministry of external affairs”.