Ukraine Crisis: Trying To Reach Out To Students, Embassy Will Help Them Out, Says MoS MEA

Ukraine Crisis: On Tuesday, 242 students arrived in Delhi from Ukraine in an Air India flight. However, there are several Indian students who are stuck in Ukraine.

Indian nationals upon their arrival at IGI Airport in Delhi from Ukraine (PTI)

New Delhi: With several Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine due to the nation's simmering tensions with Russia, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi on Wednesday said the government was trying to reach out to students and asked them to stay in touch with the embassy in Kyiv.

On Tuesday, 242 students arrived in Delhi from Ukraine in an Air India flight. However, there are several Indian students who are stuck in Ukraine.

More than 20,000 Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine.

"We are trying to reach out to our students and other people abroad, especially in Ukraine. They should stay in touch with our embassy. Embassy will help them out," ANI quoted Meenakashi Lekhi as saying.

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Lekhi said India believed in rules-based order and all stakeholders must communicate with each other to resolve the crisis.

"India believes in rule-based order. We pray for harmony and peace all around. We seek all the stakeholders must communicate with each other," she told PTI.

Last week, Air India announced that it would operate flights between India and Ukraine on February 22, 24 and 26. The Indian embassy in Ukraine has said additional flights from Kyiv to Delhi would operate on February 25, 27 (two flights) and March 6.

The Indian embassy has asked Indian students to temporarily leave the country amid the rising tensions. However, several students have complained of expensive air tickets.

"I have booked flight tickets worth Rs 60,000, but what will those parents do who can't afford such huge amount of money? The Government of India has sent several flights but how will we be able to book such an expensive air ticket. Till Monday, flight tickets costing Rs one lakh were being sold but after borrowing some extra money from my relatives, I booked the air ticket and called my child back to India," IANS quoted a parent, Ratan Singh, as saying.

Tensions have been escalating between Ukraine and Russia since last week, with the US warning of an "imminent invasion" by Moscow. On Monday, Russia recognised the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.