Russian invasion: MEA activating alternate evacuation routes for Indians in Ukraine

With the Russian military forces attacking several areas across Ukraine and a subsequent closure of the country’s airspace, the Ministry of External Affairs is activating alternate evacuation routes for its nationals and is also putting into action its contingency plans to address the situation, a source has said.

“New Delhi is also keeping an eye on the additional economic sanctions by Western powers, including the US and the EU, against Russia, as it could have a bearing on Indian interests,” another person tracking the matter told BusinessLine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha, urged India to play a more active role in resolving the Ukraine crisis given the country’s ‘special privileged strategic partnership’ with Russia. Speaking to the media, Polikha said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the matter as the latter might respond to him given the special relationship.

Ukraine has called the Russian operations in the east of the country, to defend separatists in the Donbas region of Donetsk and Luhansk, a ‘full-fledged war’ while Putin has described it as a ‘special military operation’.

At the moment, evacuating Indian nationals in Ukraine is one of India’s primary focus areas as reports of explosions and gunfire are pouring in from across the country. The government is giving utmost priority to operationalising alternate evacuation routes, the source said.

“... since the Ukrainian airspace has been closed, the schedule for special flights stands cancelled. Alternative arrangements are being made for evacuation Indian nationals. Embassy will convey information as soon as such arrangements are finalised, so that Indian nationals can relocate to the western part of the country,” according to an advisory from the Indian Embassy in Kyiv on Thursday. 

“MEA officials have been engaged in high level meetings since early in the day when Russia declared its special military operation in Ukraine. Contingency plans, that had been prepared much in advance, are being operationalised,” the source pointed.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in India is closely monitoring all on-going efforts in the country to respond to the situation in Ukraine, another person tracking the matter said.

Additional Russian speaking officials have been sent to the Indian Embassy in Ukraine and are also being deployed in countries neighbouring Ukraine, the source said.

EU’s measures

Meanwhile, European Council has adopted a package of measures to respond to the decision by the Russian Federation to proceed with the recognition of the non-government controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast of Ukraine as independent entities, and the subsequent decision to send Russian troops into these areas.

The European Council is set to increase its restrictions against Russia through a package of additional sanctions, that European leaders are to approve. “With this package, we will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to technologies and markets that are key for Russia. We will weaken Russia’s economic base and its capacity to modernise. And in addition, we will freeze Russian assets in the European Union and stop the access of Russian banks to European financial markets,” EC President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.

US’ sanctions

US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday new economic sanctions targeting two key Russian financial institutions and five Russian oligarchs close to Putin imposing harsh financial penalties. Following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, more sanctions are expected.

“The economic sanctions against Russia is likely to hurt many other countries, such as the Central Asian countries, much more than India.We have to watch how things play out for all,” the second person said.

India has been maintaining that Russia and the US should be engaged in a sustained diplomatic dialogue to sort out the situation.

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