By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: In a big relief to Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine, the government has planned evacuation flights to fly back Indians who have managed to reach Romania-Ukraine border amid Russia invasion.
One flight will leave from Delhi and other from Mumbai to Bucharest on Friday night. Sources claimed the Delhi-Bucharest plane was likely to take off at around 9 pm and the flight from Mumbai was expected to depart at 10.30 pm.
“The evacuation flights for the Indians are being arranged and the transportation cost will be completely borne by the government,” sources added. The government has asked Indian nationals to reach the Ukraine-Romania border by road from where they would be taken to Bucharest by officials so that they can be sent back home on the two flights that will be operated by Air India.
Apart from the two chartered flights to Bucharest on Friday, two flights are likely to Budapest on Saturday to bring back the stranded Indians. The distance between Kyiv and the Romanian border is approximately 600 km and it takes anywhere between 8.5 to 11 hours to cover the distance by road.
The distance from the Ukraine-Romania border to Bucharest is approximately 500 km and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road. The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 km and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road.
First batch to enter Romania Over 470 students will enter Romania through the Porubne-Siret border, the Indian embasy in Ukraine said. ‘‘We are moving Indians located at the border to neighbouring countries for onward evacuation. Efforts are underway to relocate Indians coming from the hinterland,’’ it said. Efforts are underway to relocate Indians coming from the Ukranian hinterland, the embassy said.
