Ukraine-Russia Crisis: Stranded Indian students to evacuate via Air India flight from Bucharest

New Delhi: Amid the rising tension between Ukraine-Russia war, the stranded Indian students will be evacuated via Air India flight on Saturday from the Romanian capital Bucharest.

Around 20,000 Indians, mostly students have been stuck in Ukraine due to the Russian military offensive.

Reportedly, the flight, AI1943, took off from the Mumbai airport around 3.40 AM and landed at the Bucharest airport around 10 AM (Indian Standard Time).

Indian nationals who have reached the Ukraine-Romania border by road are being taken to Bucharest by Indian government officials so that they can be evacuated in the Air India flight.

Air India will operate more flights on Saturday to Bucharest and Hungarian capital Budapest to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine.

Among all the students, more than 1000 students from Odisha have also been stuck in Ukraine and are anxiously waiting to be evacuated to their hometown. The worried family members have appealed to the Centre as well as the Odisha government to take necessary steps for help and the safe rescue of the students.

In a latest advisory by the Indian Embassy in Ukraine, Indian citizens in the war-torn country were on Saturday advised not to move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with the Indian government.

“All Indian Citizens in Ukraine are advised to not move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with Government of India officials at the border posts (helpline numbers established) and the Emergency numbers of Embassy of India, Kyiv,” the advisory read. It further requested the Indian citizens in the eastern sector of the country to remain in their current places of residence until further instructions.