Air India to operate flights to Romania, Hungary on Feb 26 to evacuate stranded Indians in Ukraine

There were around 20,000 Indians in Ukraine and of them, nearly 4,000 have returned to India in the last few days, as per Ministry of External Affairs.

Image for representation

Amid the escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia, Air India will operate two flights to bring back stranded Indians. As per a statement by Tata-owned Air India, the air carrier will fly two charter flights, one each to Hungary and Romania on February 26 to evacuate Indians. Hundreds of Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine due to a Russian military offensive are moving to neighbouring countries like Romania, Poland, Hungary in anticipation to get out of the region.

Earlier, the government of India confirmed that an evacuation drive to bring back stranded Indians from Ukraine in flights. The cost of the flights will be borne by the Indian Government. Following the announcement from the government, India's Ambassador said they will evacuate all Indian nationals from Ukraine, and assured Indian students holed up in this country, a day after Russia launched a massive military operation against it.

Indian Ambassador to Ukraine Partha Satpathy also urged the students taking refuge in temporary shelters to be 'realistic about the situation and convey to friends and families that everything would just be fine.'

"The government of India is completely seized with the matter. Every Indian will go back home. Planes are being lined up. Personnel is being lined up, but it's a warzone. We will have to work out the logistics and find the modalities to reach the West," Satpathy said while speaking to students who were holed up here.

"We have to be realistic about the situation. So, convey to your friends wherever they are in Ukraine that things will be fine," he was seen telling anxious Indian nationals in a video shared by a student.

The Indian government is making all possible efforts to evacuate Indians from Ukraine through its land border crossings with its neighbouring countries, Satpathy said. Government officials said Air India is also planning to operate two flights to the Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday to evacuate some of the Indians.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Thursday that there were around 20,000 Indians in Ukraine and of them, nearly 4,000 have returned to India in the last few days.

With inputs from PTI