While sticking to its advisory of non-essential travel, the MEA maintains there is no plan to evacuate Indians from Ukraine

While maintaining that India continues to monitor the situation on ground, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said there is no immediate plan for evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine.

“I don’t think any decision has been taken on evacuation. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine continues to function normally and provide services to Indian nationals in Ukraine,” said MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in the weekly media briefing.

“We continue to monitor the situation on the ground and will take further steps if required,” he said.

“Our focus is and remains on Indian citizens, Indian students, Indian nationals rather than anything larger than that,” the MEA Spokesperson asserted.

Stating that Ukraine is a live issue, Bagchi said the embassy of India in Ukraine has issued a couple of advisories.

“When we issue an advisory, we take on board developments that are happening as well as our assessment of how we can assist our citizens there."

Referring to the advisory, he said, “Those Indian citizens who are undertaking non-essential activities, are either advised to leave or not undertake non-essential travel.”

“We have set up a control room in the embassy. We also have a 24*7 helpline to help Indian nationals,” Bagchi stated.

Informing that maintained flights are operational, he said that the Embassy is in touch with students in Ukraine.

Amid the prevailing situation in Ukraine due to the rising tensions with Russia, India has advised its citizens to temporarily leave Ukraine.

And for this, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has removed the curbs on the number of flights that can be operated between India and Ukraine under the bilateral air bubble arrangement.