Indian Embassy in Kyiv has issued an 'urgent advisory' to Indian nationals stranded in Kharkiv to leave the city immediately for their own safety and proceed to settlements at Pesochyn, Babai and Bezlyudivka by 1800 hrs (Ukrainian Time) on foot if they are unable to find vehicles for commuting to specified locations.
"Those students who cannot find vehicles or buses and are at the railway station can proceed on foot to Pisochyn (11 km) Babai (12 km) and Bezlyudivka (16 km) Proceed immediately. Under all circumstances Indians must reach these settlements by 1800 hrs (Ukrainian time) today," the advisory states.
This is the second advisory issued by the Embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday amid reports of increased shelling of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.
Meanwhile India has increased the number of flights, bringing in air force planes as well, to evacuate Indian nationals from countries on the western border of Ukraine such as Poland and Romania.
However, Kharkiv is in the east of Ukraine and therefore poses a problem as it is situated 1,200 km away from the western border where the evacuation is taking place.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday that out of an estimated 20,000 Indian citizens in Ukraine, 60 per cent have left the country since the first advisory was issued by the government.
“Approximately 12,000 have left Ukraine so far, which means 60 per cent of the people have left the country. Of the remaining 40 per cent, roughly half remain in the conflict zone in Kharkiv and the other half have either reached the western border of Ukraine or are heading towards the western border. They are generally out of conflict areas," Shringla said.
He also said a high-level meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
