New Delhi: Two Air India flights are set to depart to Bucharest on Friday evening after the MEA sorted neighbouring lands to help evacuate stranded Indians. The flight would fly back Indians who have managed to reach the Ukraine-Romania border, officials said. It also learnt that the Central Govt has announced to bear the evacuation cost for stranded Indians. The MEA is mounting its efforts working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary. At present, teams are getting in place at CHOP-ZAHONY Hungarian border near Uzhhorod, PORUBNE-SIRET Romanian Border near Chernivtsi, sources added.
“The situation is very dynamic. Bringing back Indians safely from Ukraine is a key priority of the government and this is being monitored at the highest level by Prime Minister Modi. Every possible attempt is being made,” said people in the know.
In view of the escalating invasions, the MEA has decided to onboard a support staff comprising of an engineer and security personnel on both aircraft along with the crew. Officials from the Indian Embassy in Ukraine have been aiding assistance to those stranded. The govt has been closely monitoring the situation and adequately arranging for essential services.
“The situation on the ground and in the region is fluid. As soon as everything required, including all needed overflying permissions, fall in place, the planes will leave,” the source added.
Ukraine which is under attack from land, sea and air has been compromised. It shut down its airfields on Thursday morning after Putin announced the apparently ‘special military operation’ in the recently declared individual countries by his decree, Donetsk and Luhansk. Air India’s second evacuation flight turned around on Thursday and since then pleas of the stranded citizens have been reaching PM Modi for immediate assistance in evacuation