Indian Embassy in Poland issues advisory to its citizens desiring to be evacuated

Amid Russian military operations in Ukraine and condition worsening, the Indian Embassy in Warsaw issued an urgent advisory for its citizens who desire to be evacuated via Poland.

The Mission concurrently accredited to Lithuania said, "Indian nationals arriving at the Poland-Ukraine border by public conveyance i.e. by bus or taxi, are advised to make for the Shehyni-Medyka border crossing, not Krakowiec crossing."

The embassy office at the Krakowiec crossings will be operational later today, headed by Shubham Kumar (Tel +48 881 551 271).

"The Government of Poland is allowing people to cross the border on foot only via Shehyni-Medyka point. The Krakowiec crossing is only for persons travelling in their own vehicles," read the embassy statement.

"Embassy official Pankaj Garg (Tel +48660460815) is stationed at the Shehyni-Medyka. The Liaison Office in Lviv, Ukraine is operational and the contact details are: Mira Berezovska (Mb +380679335064), Vivek Kumar (Tel +48 881 551 273) will be available from late February 25.

The embassy further advised Indians crossing into Poland to register their details by filling the Google Form (https:117orms.gle/TPmtUeMh98Q4XgvP9) for processing their requests for seats in the repatriation flights.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs Camp Offices are now operational in Lviv and Chernivtsi towns in western Ukraine.

Additional Russian-speaking officials are being sent to these Camp Offices.

Officials are assisting Indian citizens who reach these cities and will facilitate their departure from Ukraine through adjoining border crossings.

The first batch of Indian students has now left Chernivtsi for the Ukraine/Romania border.

A group of around 40 Indian medical students of Daynlo Halytsky Medical University, Lviv walk towards the Ukraine-Poland border for evacuation. They were dropped around 8 km from the border point by a college bus.

Also, Embassy of India in Bratislava has stationed officials at the Slovak-Ukraine border to provide essential assistance to Indian nationals who might cross over to Slovakia from Thursday.

The government of India will arrange evacuation flights for Indian nationals in Ukraine, said sources on Friday.

The sources further said that the cost will be completely borne by the government for this evacuation.

"Two flights for Bucharest today and one flight for Budapest for tomorrow are being planned to be operated as GOI chartered flights," said Government sources.

Earlier on Thursday, with Ukraine closing its airspace after Russia launched a military operation against it, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had sent teams to the land borders with Ukraine in Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic and Romania to assist the evacuation of Indian nationals.

( With inputs from ANI )