New Delhi, Feb 17 (FN Agency) The government has no immediate plans for evacuation of its citizens from Ukraine, nor has it arranged for any special flights to bring back Indians from there, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. The statement came even as the Civil Aviation Ministry removed restrictions on the number of flights to and from Ukraine under an air bubble arrangement amid the tense situation in that country. There are an estimated 20,000 Indian students in Ukraine. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a media briefing, said that Indian carriers are being encouraged to operate charter flights between India and Ukraine. He said the Indian Embassy in Kyiv was monitoring the situation on the ground continuously, and control rooms have been set up at the Embassy and in the MEA in New Delhi. “This is a live issue.. The developments are being monitored by our embassy.
They have issued a couple of advisories. We have set up control rooms, there is a control room at the embassy, there is a control room at the MEA, we also have a 24X7 helpline. “I don’t think any decision regarding evacuation has been taken. Our embassy continues to function normally and provide services to Indian nationals in Ukraine,” he said, recalling the advisory issued two days ago that requested Indians who were in non-essential activities, especially students, to leave as well as not undertake non-essential travel in Ukraine. “As I said flights are operational, our embassy is functioning, and is in touch with the students. “And that’s how we are looking at it. We continue to monitor the situation on the ground, and we will take further steps if required,” he added. Asked about the reading of the situation on the ground in Ukraine, amidst the face-off between the West and Russia, he said: “Our embassy is functioning and monitoring… and they have some sense of what’s happening on the ground… We have seen some comments, and we do not have any particular readout on the nuances and technicalities, and we do not want to go into that.”
Asked how serious is the situation there, he said: “When we issue an advisory we take on board the developments that are happening, as well as our assessment of how we can assist our citizens who are there. So I would say our focus is and remains on Indian citizens and Indian students, Indian nationals, rather than anything larger than that, and in terms of what we need to do to ensure that they are safe, and are provided information that we have.” “We have no immediate evacuation plans, we do not have any special flights,” he added. He said that Indian carriers are being encouraged to operate charter flights between India and Ukraine. “There are also flights through other routes, Almaty, Dubai, Sharjah, etc. Our embassy there has issued guidance to the students not to panic, and there are other FAQs that have been put out. They are also taking phone calls. “So, I would say we are looking at a process; we are looking at how it develops, and who requires what kind of assistance,” the MEA spokesperson added.
He said a registration process was initiated in January by the Indian Embassy in Kyiv of Indian nationals there, which elicited good response. “As regards the students who wish to come back, we got sporadic requests from people who were not so much coming back but were concerned. I think there are issues involved there; some of them are worried that their classes may be interrupted and they may not be allowed to go; others want an online mechanism, so it’s not as if they immediately want to leave. “As you know, the situation on the ground currently from what we hear is not where they are keen to move immediately, but there are concerns obviously with the developments,” he added. “But I don’t think it’s an evacuation, so we leave it to the students themselves to figure it out.” Earlier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that it has removed restrictions on the number of flights to and from Ukraine under an air bubble arrangement. “Any number of flights as well as charter flights can operate,” the Ministry said in a statement.