A special Air India flight landed in Romania on Saturday morning amid India’s efforts to bring back citizens stuck in Ukraine via alternative routes.
The flight – AI-1943 – left from Mumbai at 3:25 am. The flight is expected to return to Mumbai at 4 pm on Saturday. Union Minister Piyush Goyal will be at the airport to recieve people who are returning.
In the latest advisory on evacuations, the government urged Indians in Ukraine on Saturday to not leave for border posts without coordination with officials concerned, stressing that “the situation is sensitive”.
Those in the western parts of the country with access to water, food, accomodation and basic amenities are “relatively safer”, the statement said, adding that people in eastern parts of the country should “avoid all unneccessary movement”.
Earlier this week, Russia had recognised two rebel regions in Ukraine as independent in prelude to a full-scale invasion on Thursday.
The Kremlin stepped up attacks on Ukraine by land, water and sea from north, south and east, reports have said. Ukrainian capital Kyiv is under threat with heavy firiing reported in outskirts as Russia advances. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a late-night video address called for people to join the fight and defend the capital.
Meanwhile, while the airspace remains closed in Ukraine amid Russia offensive, India has been planning evacuation via alternative routes. Romania, Poland, Slovakia Republic and Hungary have been asked for help.
About 16,000 Indians are in Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to Russia’s Vladimir Putin expressing concern for the safety of citizens.