Digital Desk: Even as tensions in the region have risen, India's flag carrier Air India dispatched a special flight from New Delhi to Ukraine on Tuesday to begin the evacuation of hundreds of Indian students and residents from the European country.
"Yes, the first of three Air India flights to Ukraine took off from Delhi at 7.30 a.m. today." On the condition of anonymity, an AI source told EFE that it is expected to return at 10.15 p.m.
The jet, a Dreamliner B-787 with a capacity of 254 people, would travel directly to Kiev, though the source did not specify how the available seats would be distributed.
The next two flights, operated by the same aircraft, will depart from India on February 24 and 26.
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These flights follow four others previously announced by the Indian Embassy in Ukraine, which will depart Ukraine on February 25 (morning and evening), February 27, and March 6.
Furthermore, the embassy advised Indian citizens to try one of the frequent flights between the two countries, which are operated by various carriers.
However, in response to students' concerns about leaving the country without the assurance that they would be able to resume their university classes online, the embassy issued a statement on Tuesday assuring them that they would contact authorities to investigate the possibility of video-conferencing classes.
After Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the self-declared republics of Donestk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region and ordered troops to move to the two enclaves, India expressed "deep concern" over the developments. It called for diplomatic dialogue to resolve the ongoing Ukraine crisis at a UN Security Council emergency meeting.
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