Leave Ukraine immediately: Indian embassy issues advisory to citizens

The Indian embassy in Ukraine issued a fresh advisory on Tuesday (October 25), asking all Indians there to immediately leave the country in view of escalating hostilities in the war-ravaged country.

India had issued a similar advisory on October 19, asking Indian citizens including students to leave Ukraine “at the earliest by available means” while asking others bound for Ukraine to avoid travelling to the country.

“In continuation of the advisory issued by the embassy on October 19, all Indian citizens in Ukraine are advised to immediately leave Ukraine by available means,” the embassy said adding that several Indian residents have already left the country in response to the earlier advisory.

The advisories came after Russia carried out retaliatory strikes in various parts of Ukraine in response to the October 8 blast on Kerch Bridge which connected Russian mainland with Crimea.

Those wanting guidance or assistance required for travel can call +380933559958, +380635917881 and +380678745945.

The embassy has advised Indians to exit through Ukraine borders with Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, Poland and Romania while asking them to its website “for avoidable options for border crossing.”

As Ukraine is a major destination of medical education for Indian students. Many of them who had to leave the country after the Russian invasion earlier this year, had returned in September to resume their courses.

On October 22, soon after the first Indian advisory came, Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine told all residents of the city of Kherson to leave immediately ahead of an expected advance by Ukrainian troops waging a counteroffensive to recapture one of the first urban areas Russia took after invading the country.

In a post on the Telegram messaging service, the pro-Kremlin regional administration strongly urged civilians to use boat crossings over a major river to move deeper into Russian-held territory, citing a tense situation on the front and the threat of shelling and alleged plans for terror attacks by Kyiv.

Kherson has been in Russian hands since the early days of the nearly 8-month-long war in Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)