Ukraine’s airspace is closed indefinitely in the event of war. New Delhi has stepped in to rescue stranded Indians using the borders of Ukraine’s neighbors Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said four foreign ministry teams were going to the four countries to repatriate Indians stranded in Ukraine. He also gave the phone numbers of the chief coordinators of the four parties concerned. Arindam wrote on Twitter, “Indian nationals of Ukraine can contact these groups at any point near the Ukrainian land border adjacent to Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania.”
Air India flight AI 1947 had to return to Delhi from mid-air on Thursday to rescue Indians stranded in Ukraine. The two warring countries have refused to provide airspace along the border due to the safety of passengers in the event of a war in India. Incidentally, Ukraine has already announced to seal their airspace. In this situation, it is planned to bring the Indians trapped in Ukraine across the land border to those four countries and return them to India by air.
Last week, the Indian embassy in Ukraine issued “advice” to Indian students studying in Ukraine and Russia to return to the country amid rising tensions between the two countries. The new guidelines, released on Friday, also say that Indian students living in Ukraine will be given priority in repatriation.
