Ukraine Crisis: Indian Govt to bear cost of evacuation flights for citizens

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier said that teams are being sent to the land borders with Ukraine in Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic and Romania.

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The government of India has confirmed that a massive evacuation drive will be organised to bring back stranded Indians from Ukraine in flights. The cost of the flights will be borne by the Indian Government. It is not yet confirmed if the government will send private airlines like Air India or Indian Air Force to evacuate the citizens.

Important Advisory to all Indian Nationals/Students in Ukraine as on 25 February 2022.@MEAIndia @PIB_India @DDNewslive @PIBHindi @DDNational @IndianDiplomacy @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/79124Ks0Sm

— India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) February 25, 2022

As the war between Ukraine and Russia intensifies, Ukraine closed its airspace leaving thousands of Indian nationals stranded in the former USSR territory. While the government of India initiated an evacuation drive sending Air India flights to Kyiv, capital of Ukraine and announcing additional flights from Ukraine in the coming days, the air strikes by Russia prompted the Ukrainian govt to close its airspace.

Now India is planning an evacuation of the Indian citizens by alternative routes. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that teams are being sent to the land borders with Ukraine in Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic and Romania to assist the evacuation of Indian nationals.