This is the first flight from the former Soviet republic to India since the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted into a full-fledged invasion. It was originally scheduled to arrive in Mumbai at 4 p.m.
The first Air India aircraft carrying 219 passengers took off from Romania amid considerable commotion and misunderstanding about the evacuation of Indian nationals from war-torn Ukraine. The flight will arrive in Mumbai about 6:30 pm. This is the first flight from the former Soviet republic to India since the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted into a full-fledged invasion. It was originally scheduled to arrive in Mumbai at 4 pm.
Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, stated that he is personally watching the evacuation activities and that the government is making progress. "Our personnel are on the ground 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I am personally watching," he stated this in a tweet.
Regarding evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, we are making progress.
Our teams are working on the ground round the clock. I am personally monitoring.
The first flight to Mumbai with 219 Indian nationals has taken off from Romania. pic.twitter.com/8BSwefW0Q1
Since Ukraine's airspace has been blocked to civil aircraft operations since the morning of February 24, evacuation flights will take place from neighbouring nations.
While the students who were evacuated and taken to the Romanian capital Bucharest complimented Indian officials for staying in touch and "taking care of everything," many other students who remain stuck in bunkers report that no aid has arrived.
The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Saturday warned its nationals not to travel to any border crossings without first consulting with its authorities. Thousands of Indians are trapped in the nation and are frantically looking for a way out.
"The situation at various border checkpoints is serious, and the Embassy is continually working with our Embassies in our neighbouring countries to facilitate the evacuation of our nationals," the Indian embassy in Ukraine tweeted this morning. While emphasising this, the Indian mission in Kyiv stated that the situation at various border posts was delicate, and that it was becoming increasingly difficult to assist persons who arrived at the border checks without prior notification.
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