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Tag: Ukraine war

  • In talks with European leaders, Modi expresses anguish over Ukraine situation; Indian student injured in Kharkiv firing

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to several European leaders over the Ukraine crisis on Tuesday and expressed his anguish over the deteriorating situation and the humanitarian crisis in the war-hit country, while reiterating India’s appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue, the PMO said.

    Modi spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda and European Council President Charles Michel amid a worsening situation in Ukraine as the Russian forces moved deeper into the country.

    An Indian student also lost his life in shelling during the Russian advance.

    Modi and Macron shared their concerns over the continuing hostilities and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

    Modi welcomed the talks between Ukraine and Russia, and stressed upon the importance of ensuring free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of all people.

    In his comments, the prime minister reiterated India’s consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.

    He stressed India’s belief that respect for international law, the UN Charter and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries underpin the contemporary world order, the PMO said.

    Modi also briefed Macron on India’s efforts to evacuate its citizens from the conflict areas and send urgent relief supplies, including medicines, for the affected populations.

    In his talks with Duda, Modi thanked him for the assistance provided by Poland in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine and for the special gesture of relaxing the visa requirement for the Indian citizens crossing over to the country from Ukraine.

    He expressed his particular appreciation for the warm reception and facilitation extended by Polish citizens to the Indian nationals at this difficult time, the PMO said.

    Alluding to the traditional friendly relations between the two countries, Modi recalled the assistance offered by Poland in the wake of the Gujarat earthquake in 2001.

    He also recollected the exemplary role played by the Maharaja of Jamnagar in rescuing several Polish families and young orphans during the Second World War, the PMO said.

    Modi also informed Duda that Union minister V K Singh would be stationed in Poland as his special envoy to oversee the evacuation efforts of Indian citizens.

    “The Prime Minister reiterated India’s consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue. He stressed upon the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations,” the PMO said.

    In his talks with the European Council president, Modi expressed anguish over the deteriorating situation and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

    He reiterated India’s appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue.

    “The Prime Minister stressed that the contemporary global order was anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states. He welcomed the talks between the two parties and stressed upon the importance of ensuring free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of all people,” the PMO said.

    Modi also spoke about the efforts being made by India to send urgent relief supplies, including medicines, to the affected areas.

    One student from Karnataka was injured in shelling in Kharkiv in Ukraine, that left a medical student from the state dead, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Tuesday.

    He had accompanied Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, who died in the shelling.

    “Two more students from Chalageri village in Ranebennur Taluk in Haveri district were also there. One is injured while the other is safe,” Bommai told reporters.

    He added that he spoke to Naveen father’s Shekarappa Gyanagouda and expressed his grief.

    Bommai said his concern is to bring Naveen’s body to India.

    “We have not yet receive any information what the condition of the body is. I have spoken to the PMO and made a request. I have also sent a message to the Prime Minister to bring the body from Ukraine. Our officials are in touch with the Embassy officials in Ukraine,” the Chief Minister said.

    Following the incident, India asked the envoys of both Russia and Ukraine to ensure “urgent safe passage” to Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other conflict zones.

    “With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter at 2:58 pm.

    Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the deceased student was identified and the body was taken to a morgue in the university, adding that Indian authorities are in touch with the local administration in Kharkiv to bring back the mortal remains.

    According to Naveen’s friends, he had gone out to buy groceries and was standing in a queue at a shop when he was hit, Shringla said, adding that the circumstances are not absolutely clear.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting in the evening, where the evacuation process was reviewed.

    “The meeting began with an expression of deep regret and condolences on the tragic death of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, an Indian student who was studying at the Kharkiv National Medical University and who died earlier today.

    The prime minister conveyed his deep anguish at the loss of the life of the Indian national,” Shringla said at a media briefing.

    Naveen’s uncle Ujjanagouda said the medical student was killed when he stepped out of his bunker to exchange currency and fetch some food.

    President of the European Council Charles Michel spoke to Modi and expressed sadness over the death of the Indian student.

    He said European countries are wholeheartedly helping in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine.

    The Ukrainian and Russian ambassadors were called into the MEA and were conveyed to ensure the safety of the Indians stranded in Ukraine.

    The MEA said India has reiterated its demand for “urgent safe passage” to the Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities.

    “Similar action is also being undertaken by our ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine,” Bagchi said.

    Kharkiv is witnessing intense fighting between the Ukrainian troops and the Russian forces.

    Earlier in the day, the Indian embassy in Ukraine asked the Indians stranded in Kyiv to leave the Ukrainian capital urgently.

    In an advisory, it asked the citizens to leave Kyiv by trains or any other means.

    “All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available,” the embassy said.

    The advisory came amid increasing fighting between the Russian forces and the Ukrainian troops around Kyiv.

    Official sources said the deteriorating situation in Kharkiv is a matter of grave concern and that the safety and security of the Indian nationals in the city is of utmost priority for the government.

    They said India has already taken up with the Russian and Ukrainian embassies the “pressing” requirement of safe passage to Indian nationals, including students, from Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones.

    “This demand has been repeatedly made of Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of this conflict on February 24.

    It has been conveyed to both their ambassadors in New Delhi as well as taken up in their capitals,” said a source.

    Sources said the preparations for the evacuation of Indians from the Indian government’s side have been in place for some time now.

    “An Indian team has been positioned in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border. However, the conflict situation in and around Kharkiv and nearby cities has been an obstacle,” a source said.

    “Therefore, it is imperative that Russia and Ukraine respond to our need for safe passage urgently,” the source added.

    The sources said in places where the conflict has not endangered movement, Indian authorities have been able to evacuate the citizens.

    They said India will continue to make utmost efforts to ensure the return of its citizens stranded in Ukraine.

    Union minister Hardeep Puri is heading to Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia will oversee the evacuation process in Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju is travelling to Slovakia and General (retd) V K Singh will supervise the evacuation process along the transit points with Poland.

  • 7 flights to land in India carrying stranded Indians from Ukraine on Wednesday

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: As many as seven flights will land in Delhi on Wednesday carrying stranded Indians from Ukraine under Operation Ganga, the government sources told ANI on Tuesday.

    A total of nine flights have already brought back stranded Indian nationals from Ukraine.

    The sources told ANI that the first flight of Indigo Airlines is taking off from Hungary’s capital Budapest on Tuesday evening and will land at Delhi Airport at 7:20 am on Wednesday. The Indigo flight has the capacity to carry 216 passengers.

    According to sources, flights will take off throughout the day from Budapest, Rzeszow, and Bucharest and will be landing at Delhi Airport by late evening on Wednesday.

    The union government has deployed around 20 flights from Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, and Spice Jet. Apart from these airlines, the Airforce has also been asked to evacuate Indians from the neighbouring countries of Ukraine.

    Air India flights have the capacity of carrying 250 passengers, Air India Express flights 180, while IndiGo planes can carry 216 passengers on board.

    ALSO READ | Indian student from Haveri district in Karnataka killed in shelling in Ukraine’s Kharkiv

    Meanwhile, at a high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indians there are safe and secure, informed Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

    This was the second high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister during the day over the prevailing situation in Ukraine.

    Government sources on Monday said that the ‘Special Envoys’ including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will travel to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations.

    On February 24, the Prime Minister chaired a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in New Delhi on the Ukraine crisis.

    The union government has launched “Operation Ganga” to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India under “Operation Ganga”.

    External Affairs Ministry on Monday informed that over 8,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since the initial advisories were issued by the country. The Ministry also said that the six evacuation flight have landed in India bringing back around 1,400 citizens. 

  • Hollywood halts releases in Russia, including ‘The Batman’

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: Warner Bros. is halting the release of “The Batman” in Russia, just days before it was to open in theaters there, as Hollywood moved to cease distribution plans in the country following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Warner Bros., the Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures said Monday that they would “pause” the release of their films in Russia. Each studio has significant upcoming releases that had been set to debut internationally in the coming weeks. “The Batman,” one of the year’s more anticipated films, launches Friday in North America and many overseas territories, including Russia.

    “In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film ‘The Batman’ in Russia,” a spokesperson for the studio said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.”

    ALSO READ | Albania refuses to play Russia in UEFA Nations League game

    Warner Bros.′ move closely followed a similar decision Monday by the Walt Disney Co. The studio had planned to open the Pixar film “Turning Red” in Russia on March 10. That film is going straight to Disney+ in the U.S. Before Disney’s announcement, Warner Bros. had been expected to proceed with the Russian release of “The Batman.”

  • Exporters see payment hurdles for shipments to Russia as tough sanctions come into force

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Exporters on Monday said they will face more difficulties for their shipments to Russia with a decision to exclude selected Russian banks from the global financial system SWIFT as the move would hamper direct payments for goods shipped out to the CIS country.

    The US along with its key allies, including the European Union and the UK, have decided to disconnect key sanctioned Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Exporting community also hoped that if sanctions, including the one on the banking network, continue, the central government may open a rupee payment channel as done in the case of Iran in the past.

    Export Credit Guarantee Corporation has also decided to withdraw coverage for shipments to Russia with effect from February 25, which is a huge setback for exporters.

    “Exclusion of selected Russian banks from SWIFT will surely act as a deterrent for the smooth functioning of the payment system and Indian exporting community is apprehended to face uncertainty or at least a deferral on payments for exports. This may again discourage them from executing further orders from Russia and India’s exports to the country may decline substantially going forward,” EEPC India chairman Mahesh Desai told PTI.

    Federation of Indian Export Organisations also expressed apprehension and said payments to exporters will get stuck for the shipments that have already been dispatched and they will hold on to new orders until a fresh payment mechanism is not in place.

    “Disconnecting Russian banks from the SWIFT network is having a major impact. However, the Indian government will surely do something to overcome the problem and a rupee payment mechanism may be put in place with what we have seen in the case of Iran in the past,” FIEO chairman (east) Sushil Patwari said.

    He also said, “The oil import payments and receivables for exports may be in rupee terms as US dollar and Euro payment settlements will not be possible once excluded from SWIFT.”

    Based in Belgium, the SWIFT system is considered central to the smooth functioning of global finances and Russia’s exclusion from it would hit the country hard.

    Tea sector veteran C S Bedi said the majority of exports of the commodity to Russian destinations is over, so “no major impact may be faced now” but if payments are due then such a move by the Western countries may pose challenges.

    “The immediate concern is what will happen to the receivables which are due from Russian importers,” Nipha Exports director Rakesh Shah said.

    India is a leading supplier of various goods to Russia with around USD 3 billion of merchandise exports, Desai said.

    Engineering exports to the country are likely to go up to nearly USD 1 billion this fiscal, he added.

  • Exporters see payment hurdles for shipments to Russia as tough sanctions come into force

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Exporters on Monday said they will face more difficulties for their shipments to Russia with a decision to exclude selected Russian banks from the global financial system SWIFT as the move would hamper direct payments for goods shipped out to the CIS country.

    The US along with its key allies, including the European Union and the UK, have decided to disconnect key sanctioned Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Exporting community also hoped that if sanctions, including the one on the banking network, continue, the central government may open a rupee payment channel as done in the case of Iran in the past.

    Export Credit Guarantee Corporation has also decided to withdraw coverage for shipments to Russia with effect from February 25, which is a huge setback for exporters.

    “Exclusion of selected Russian banks from SWIFT will surely act as a deterrent for the smooth functioning of the payment system and Indian exporting community is apprehended to face uncertainty or at least a deferral on payments for exports. This may again discourage them from executing further orders from Russia and India’s exports to the country may decline substantially going forward,” EEPC India chairman Mahesh Desai told PTI.

    Federation of Indian Export Organisations also expressed apprehension and said payments to exporters will get stuck for the shipments that have already been dispatched and they will hold on to new orders until a fresh payment mechanism is not in place.

    “Disconnecting Russian banks from the SWIFT network is having a major impact. However, the Indian government will surely do something to overcome the problem and a rupee payment mechanism may be put in place with what we have seen in the case of Iran in the past,” FIEO chairman (east) Sushil Patwari said.

    He also said, “The oil import payments and receivables for exports may be in rupee terms as US dollar and Euro payment settlements will not be possible once excluded from SWIFT.”

    Based in Belgium, the SWIFT system is considered central to the smooth functioning of global finances and Russia’s exclusion from it would hit the country hard.

    Tea sector veteran C S Bedi said the majority of exports of the commodity to Russian destinations is over, so “no major impact may be faced now” but if payments are due then such a move by the Western countries may pose challenges.

    “The immediate concern is what will happen to the receivables which are due from Russian importers,” Nipha Exports director Rakesh Shah said.

    India is a leading supplier of various goods to Russia with around USD 3 billion of merchandise exports, Desai said.

    Engineering exports to the country are likely to go up to nearly USD 1 billion this fiscal, he added.

  • Ground situation ‘complex and fluid’, we are accelerating evacuation process: MEA

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Monday said it managed to accelerate efforts to evacuate its nationals from Ukraine though the ground situation remained “complex and fluid”, and noted that around 8,000 Indians left that country since the first advisory was issued earlier this month before the conflict began.

    External Affairs Ministery Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing that 1,396 Indians were brought back home in six flights in the last few days as part of the evacuation mission.

    The Indian embassy in Kyiv had started issuing travel advisories requesting Indians to consider leaving that country after tensions between Ukraine and Russia began to increase.

    Russia had launched the attack on the eastern European country four days back.

    A large number of Indians left the country following the advisories.

    The MEA spokesperson also said India is sending humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

    Bagchi said the government has decided to send four union ministers as the prime minister’s envoys to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova to oversee the evacuation of Indian nationals through Ukrainian land border crossings with these countries.

    He said Union Minister Hardeep Puri will go to Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia will oversee the evacuation process in Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju will travel to Slovakia and Gen (retd) V K Singh is leaving for Poland.

    “The special envoys will be travelling to these countries to basically coordinate and oversee the evacuation process on the ground,” Bagchi said, adding they may also go close the places where the evacuation is happening if the situation permits.

    “That will depend on the specific circumstances. I think you will see them operating there coordinating evacuation efforts and getting in touch with the local authorities as well as other partners which are helping in this process” he said.

    Bagchi said the “situation on the ground in terms of evacuation continues to be “complex and fluid” but India has managed to accelerate the evacuation process in the last 24 hours.

    “You have seen media reports. Some of them are concerning. Nevertheless, we have been able to accelerate our evacuation process clearly over the last 24 hours,” he said.

    The MEA spokesperson also urged the Indian students not to panic.

    “I do not think the students should panic. They should try to go to the western parts of Ukraine while contacting our control rooms and sharing their locations so that we can get them registered for their exit,” he said.

    “Our estimate is that over 8,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since we issued the initial advisories. It’s not since the conflict began, but since we issued the initial advisories,” he emphasised.

    Bagchi said India’s focus has been on evacuating its nationals through the land border crossings, noting that there has been some improvement in the movement of people into Poland through the situation on the Polish border is still difficult.

    He said there has been progress in the evacuation of people along the border in Romania and that exiting through the Hungarian transit point is also picking up momentum.

    The spokesperson said India has managed to open a new route through Moldova and an MEA team has already reached that country this morning to assist the evacuation of Indians from Moldova to Romania.

    “This new route should help Indians in Southern Ukraine. We are looking at how we can move them to Moldova and then to Romania,” he said.

    Bagchi said India is encouraging its citizens to move to western Ukraine and that the MEA’s understanding is that some students in the cities in eastern Ukraine are boarding trains to the western side.

    “We want to emphasise that people should not reach the border directly. If they do they will face a long waiting time to cross as you have seen on the Polish border. You have seen it on the Romanian border too.”

    “Please do reach in the western part of the country, but please seek shelter in nearby towns,” he said.

    Bagchi said flights are not a constraint.

    “We will add more flights as needed. We are continually augmenting the number of MEA teams in border crossing points. We are also augmenting a number of officials in the nearby countries,” he said.

    India on Friday managed to set up camp offices in Lviv and Chernivtsi towns in western Ukraine to facilitate the transit of Indians to Hungary, Romania and Poland.

    India also positioned teams of officials at Zahony border post in Hungary, Krakowiec as well as Shehyni-Medyka land border points in Poland, Vysne Nemecke in the Slovak Republic and Suceava transit point in Romania to coordinate the exit of Indian nationals from Ukraine.

    It is using the land routes to evacuate its citizens as Ukraine has closed its airspace for civilian aircraft following the Russian attack.

    Stepping up its efforts to evacuate thousands of Indians stuck in Ukraine, the government on Monday decided to send four Union ministers to the neighbouring countries of the war-torn country to coordinate the evacuation process even as the external affairs ministry said nearly 8,000 nationals have returned in the last fortnight.

    The decision to send Hardeep Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and V K Singh as “special envoys” of India to coordinate the evacuation process was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also held another high-level meeting in the evening on Ukraine, government sources said.

    Official sources said Modi spoke to all four ministers personally to convey the decision that they will be coordinating evacuation efforts on the ground from the countries in Ukraine’s neighbourhood.

    Scindia will take care of evacuation efforts from Romania and Moldova while Rijiju will go to Slovakia, sources said, adding Puri will go to Hungary and Singh will be in Poland to manage the evacuation.

    The decision to send these ministers came a day after Modi asserted that ensuring the safety of Indian students and evacuating them is the government’s top priority.

    Monday meeting was also attended by several ministers, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla among other senior officials.

    Also on Monday, Shringla briefed a parliamentary panel on the situation in Ukraine amid a Russian military offensive and India’s efforts to evacuate its citizens through land check-posts with five neighbouring countries, sources said.

    They said the foreign secretary informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs that in the next two days the government is planning to operate 13 evacuation flights to the neighbouring nations of the war-torn country and the number of daily flights would be increased to nine.

    During the briefing, Shringla also said that Russian-speaking officers had been sent to the border check-posts and Indian embassies in Ukraine’s five neighbouring countries — Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Moldova — to boost evacuation efforts.

    Asserting that India has managed to accelerate its efforts to get its nationals out of Ukraine in the last 24 hours, the MEA said a total of 1,396 Indians were brought back home in six flights as part of the evacuation mission.

    MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also said the total number of Indians who have left Ukraine since India issued the first advisory earlier this month is around 8,000.

    India is also sending humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, the ministry said.

    Calling Modi’s decision to send four ministers a “visionary step”, Singh told reporters “I am leaving for Poland today and will coordinate with both Ukraine and Poland to facilitate the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine.”

    “The other three ministers are likely to leave on Tuesday. After Singh’s travel announcement, Poland’s Ambassador to India Adam Burakowski held a closed-door meeting with the Union minister.”

    Describing his meeting with Singh as “very good”, the ambassador said his country is allowing entry to people of all nationalities who are leaving war-hit Ukraine by road and food and shelter will be provided to them.

    Amid reports claiming that Indians were facing difficulties on the Poland-Ukraine border, the ambassador said those who are trying to cross to Poland from Ukraine must refer to the social media handles of the Indian embassy in Warsaw and the Twitter handle of Operation Ganga.

    “I would like to request all Indian nationals who are trying to cross to Poland from Ukraine that they must refer to the social media of Indian embassy in Warsaw and Twitter account of Operation Ganga,” Burakowski told PTI.

    Modi had chaired a meeting on the Ukraine crisis on Sunday too.

    It was decided at the meeting to further enhance cooperation with the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to expedite the evacuation of Indian students, sources had said.

    According to sources, India has agreed to send humanitarian assistance including medical supplies to Ukraine at the request of the government there.

    Top external affairs ministry officials on Monday briefed a parliamentary panel about efforts to bring back Indians stranded in war-hit Ukraine, including plans for 13 evacuation flights in the next two-three days to its neighbouring countries and subsequent increase in the number of daily flights to nine, sources said.

    Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla gave a detailed presentation to the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs on the situation in Ukraine following a Russian military offensive and India’s efforts to evacuate its citizens, they said.

    For evacuation of Indian nationals through land borders with five neighbouring countries- Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Moldova – Russian-speaking officers from the ministry of external affairs here have been sent to the border check-posts and Indian embassies in these countries to boost evacuation efforts.

    The agenda of the parliamentary panel chaired by BJP leader P P Chaudhary was to deliberate on the ministry’s Demand for Grants for the financial year 2022-23, but it took up the crisis in Ukraine following a written notice of RSP MP NK Premchandran and request of other MPs.

    Briefing the committee members about Operation Ganga launched by the government to rescue Indian nationals, including students, from Ukraine, Shringla and other external affairs ministry officials informed the panel that around 13 flights are expected to be operated in the next two-three days.

    Systematic planning is being done to evacuate citizens and the ministry is working to multi-fold increase the number of daily flights to evacuate stranded Indians, to around nine, according to sources.

    Shringla told the committee that so far around 1,200 students had returned in five flights.

    Several thousand others had crossed the Ukrainian border or were in the process of doing so, the sources said.

    The committee was also briefed on the measures being taken by the government to work with the International Committee of the Red Cross in ensuring the safety of Indian nationals in Ukraine, they said.

    The Committee unanimously appreciated the measures being taken by the government for its Operation Ganga to bring Indian nationals, particularly students, back from Ukraine, the sources said.

    Some panel members also enquired about India’s position on the conflict at the international level and were informed that at the UN Security Council, India had asked for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities.

    India had also called for a return to diplomacy and dialogue and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, the sources added.

    Talking about stranded students, officials informed the panel that three advisories were issued, but the students were reluctant to leave as they did not want to miss their exams, the sources said.

    PTI MPB RT RT 02282107 NNNN

  • Uttarakhand goverment shares list of 226 people stuck in Ukraine with Centre

    By Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand has shared a list of 226 people with the center who are stranded in war torn Ukraine. 

    The state government officials said that the list has been shared with the ministry of external affairs to being them back. 

    “We have shared a list of people who are stuck in Ukraine. Union ministry of external affairs is already in touch with us and soon everyone will be brought back safe to tehri homes, ” said Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. 

    Meanwhile, four students have returned to their homes in an Air India flight along with 215 others from different parts of India. 

    Maximum number of people from Uttarakhand are from Dehradun (55) district followed by Haridwar (41) and Udham Singh Nagar (38), Nainital (24), Pauri (21), Tehri (17), Uttarkashi (7), Champawat (5), Rudraprayag (7), Chamoli (4), Pithoragarh (3) and Almora (1) along with five others. 

    Ramesh Kuwar, a medical student from Dehradun said, “Around 300 Indian students including 15 from Uttarakhand bare in Laviv University. We are safe for now but there is constant fear of life lingering over our heads.”

    Earlier this week, intensifying the efforts, Uttarakhand goverment nominated two senior police officials of the state as nodal officers for Ukraine situation. 

    As situation on Russia-Ukraine borders worsens, families of Indian students from Uttarakhand studying in Ukraine have urged the goverment to ensure secure return on their wards.

  • MEA launches dedicated Twitter handle for students trapped in Ukraine

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday activated a dedicated Twitter handle, “OpGanga Helpline” (@opganga), to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from war-torn Ukraine.

    The mission to evacuate the stranded Indians from Ukraine has been named as “Operation Ganga”.

    India has already set up round-the-clock “control centres” in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine through border-crossing points with these countries.

    The helpline numbers of the control room in Poland are: +48225400000, +48795850877 and +48792712511. Those requiring help can also write an email to [email protected], according to the MEA.

    The helpline numbers of the control room in Romania are: +40732124309, +40771632567, +40745161631 and +40741528123. The email address for contacting the control room in Romania is [email protected].

    The MEA said Indians can contact the control room in Hungary on phone numbers +36 308517373, +36 13257742 and +36 13257743. It also has a WhatsApp number: +36 308517373 for assistance.

    The helpline numbers of the control room in Slovakia are +421 252631377, +421 252962916 and +421 951697560. The email address is [email protected].

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis on Sunday and asserted that ensuring the safety of Indian students and evacuating them is the government’s top priority, official sources said.

    It was also decided at the meeting to further enhance cooperation with the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to expedite the evacuation of Indian students, they said.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was part of the meeting, which was also attended by top government officials, including National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. The meeting lasted for over two hours, the sources said.

    Modi presided over the meeting immediately upon his return from Uttar Pradesh, where he addressed public meetings as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign for the state Assembly polls.

    A large number of Indians, mostly students, are stranded in Ukraine following Russia’s attack on the country. India has begun evacuating them and over 900 people have been brought back since Saturday.

    Modi has also spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, with India calling for dialogue to defuse the crisis.

  • India’s position consistent: Foreign Secretary on Ukraine crisis

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India’s position on the crisis in Ukraine has been “consistent” and it has every reason to believe that it should be in touch with all parties concerned, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Sunday.

    Referring to India’s stand on the UN Security Council resolution on Friday, Shringla said it has definitely pointed out that “loss of human lives is not acceptable”.

    India abstained from voting on the resolution that condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine, but at the same time New Delhi called for respecting the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of States and sought immediate cessation of “violence and hostilities”.

    “In the UN Security Council, we have conveyed deep regret at the evolving situation. We have also definitely pointed out that loss of human lives is not acceptable,” Shringla said at a media briefing.

    “But at the same, time we have said that diplomacy and dialogue are the only option. Clearly from that perspective. I think our position has been consistent when it comes to dealing with the current situation at hand,” he said.

    The foreign secretary was replying to a question on the issue.

    “We have been engaged with all parties. The prime minister has spoken to presidents of Russia and Ukraine. The external affairs minister has been in touch with a very wide range of interlocutors who are involved in the situation,” Shringla said.

    The foreign secretary said he separately met with the envoys of Russia and Ukraine on Sunday.

    “We are essentially a country that has not only interests in the region. We have friends, we have equities in the area. We have every reason to believe that we should be in touch with all concerned,” he said.

    “If we can play (a role), if there is any way that anyone can contribute, not just us but anyone can contribute to alleviating what is a difficult situation, I am sure they would do what it takes,” he said.

    Shringla was asked whether India was keen to play a role in defusing the crisis.

    While abstaining from voting on the resolution, India issued an ‘Explanation of Vote’ (EoV) in which it called for “return to the path of diplomacy” and sought immediate cessation of “violence and hostilities”.

    India also told the UN Security Council that it has been in touch with all parties concerned urging them to return to the negotiating table.

    “The contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states,” India said in the EoV said.

    “All member states need to honour these principles in finding a constructive way forward. Dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes, however daunting that may appear at this moment,” it said.

    Russia used its veto power to block the US-sponsored resolution deploring in the “strongest terms” Russian “aggression” against Ukraine.

    Besides India, China and the United Arab Emirates too abstained from voting.

  • Three more flights bring back 688 Indians from Ukraine, Government says taking steps to ensure return of all stranded citizens

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India on Sunday evacuated 688 more nationals from war-hit Ukraine on three Air India flights and said it was in touch with the other countries in that region to ensure the return of all its stranded citizens as concerns mounted over their safety.

    Approximately 13,000 Indians are in Ukraine as of now, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who received the evacuees at the Delhi airport this morning, said.

    Around a thousand Indians have already been flown out of Romania and Hungary and another 1,000 have been evacuated from Ukraine through the land routes, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told a media briefing.

    He said that locations of the Indian citizens are being shared with Ukraine and Russia for ensuring their protection and Indians who are near the borders with Hungary, Romania and Slovakia are being guided towards the respective border points in phases. The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) has also been urged to escort the Indians safely out of the country.

    Scenes of tearful reunion were seen at the Delhi airport after two Air India flights from Romanian capital Bucharest and one from Hungarian capital Budapest arrived with 688 Indian nationals on Sunday.

    IndiGo also said it will operate two flights to Budapest via Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday from Delhi to bring back Indians.

    The first evacuation flight from Bucharest with 219 people on board had landed in Mumbai a day earlier under Operation Ganga and many of the returnees reached their home states.

    “Since we were evacuated quickly, we escaped from the impact (of war), but a large number of students are stuck on the eastern side of Ukraine,” Selvapriya, a student from Tamil Nadu who is studying in an institution in western Ukraine, said on her return.

    Belonging to Pudukottai district, Selvapriya said several students from the western region have crossed the Romanian border and that they had to walk for about 5-8 kilometers to get out of Ukraine.

    A Vadodara-based man, whose daughter managed to come back, said the family was desolate ever since they got the news of the war in Ukraine.

    “We can smile now that our daughter is here,” he said.

    However, it continues to be a harrowing wait for hundreds of families whose kin are still not back from Ukraine. Videos shared on social media showed Malayali students huddled in bunkers or underground metro stations in various parts of eastern Ukraine in below-freezing temperatures, crying out for help.

    Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his immediate intervention.

    In the letter, he said some of the Indians have taken refuge in bunkers in eastern cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv and Sumi and were facing food and water shortage.

    Chandigarh-based Dinesh Dogra, whose daughter Simran, too is stuck in Kharkiv, said she and her friends take shelter in bunkers when sirens buzz outside.

    “We pray when there are air raid sirens and shelling, Simran told the media over a video call. We are worried about her safety and the well-being of other children with her. These days we are not able to sleep,” Dogra said.

    The Ministry of External affairs, meanwhile, said a dedicated Twitter handle @opganga has been set up to assist in the evacuation of Indians from Ukraine.

    Shringla said he held separate meetings with the ambassadors of Ukraine and Russia and shared with them the locations of the Indian citizens in Ukraine for ensuring their protection.

    The foreign secretary said though the border crossings to Hungary and Romania are functioning, the exit point to Poland has been clogged with lakhs of Ukrainians and foreign nationals trying to leave the strife-torn country through it.

    India is using the land routes to evacuate its citizens as Ukraine has closed its airspace for civilian aircraft following the Russian attack.

    Shringla said that Indians who are near the borders with Hungary, Romania and Slovakia are being guided towards the respective border points in phases.

    “We are aware of a number of Indian citizens, particularly students, who continue to be in cities in the east and south-east of Ukraine.

    “‘Unfortunately, these areas are live conflict areas and it is generally deemed unsafe for people to move around freely. We will try to find suitable evacuation modalities for them,” he said.

    He said approximately 2,000 Indian citizens were in Kyiv and many of them have begun to move to the western part of the country.

    Shringla said the Indian embassy in Ukraine suggested that those who are located in the eastern areas including Kyiv should start moving westwards to avoid the areas of increasing conflict and that they should come near the border points.

    “We have also contacted the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva. Our Permanent Representative in Geneva has spoken to the President of the ICRC,” he said.

    “The ICRC is commencing its operation in Ukraine. We have told them to please make sure that as and when they start their operation, they should be cognisant of the needs of our citizens and wherever possible escort them out,” he added.

    Early this morning, Scindia welcomed the evacuees of the AI1942 flight at the Delhi airport by handing out roses to them.

    Scindia told reporters at the airport terminal that approximately 13,000 Indians are stranded in Ukraine as of now.

    “You know it is an extremely sensitive situation there (Ukraine). In this situation, we are talking with each Indian national, including students, through telecommunications,” he said.

    “We will bring them back as soon as possible,” he said.

    Addressing the returnees, Scindia said, “I know you all have been through a very, very difficult time, a very, very trying time. But know this that the PM is with you at every step, the Indian government is with you at every step, and 130 crore Indians are with you at every step.”

    The Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civil aircraft operations since February 24 morning when the Russian military offensive began. Therefore, the Indian evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest and Budapest.

    Scindia said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and talks are being held so that everyone is brought home safely.

    The minister said talks are also on with the Russian government, and the Indian government will breathe easy only after every stranded Indian is evacuated from Ukraine.

    “So, please pass on this message to all your friends and all your colleagues that we are with them and we will guarantee their safe passage back,” Scindia said.

    The Indian Embassy in Ukraine said on Sunday that whenever curfew is lifted and people are moving around in a neighbourhood, Indian nationals are advised to use nearby railway stations to proceed towards western parts of the country.

    The western parts of the country are relatively conflict-free as of now.

    The transportation mode of Railways is operational and safer Ukrainian Railways is also operating special trains for evacuation of people free of charge on a first-come-first-serve basis at the railway station, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine noted.

    It said Indians should travel in groups and carry only essentials in a rucksack or a bag.