India evacuating citizens stuck in Ukraine’s Odessa via Moldova to Romania - Important points

Amid the rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, many foreign nationals are stuck in war-like conditions across several Ukrainian cities, which are currently under attack in the midst of the Russian invasion.

The Indian government has taken several steps to evacuate all the Indian students and citizens currently stuck in Ukrainian cities. Further, the Embassy of India in Romania in coordination with Moldovan authorities is organizing the movement of Indian nationals stranded in Odessa (Ukraine) to Bucharest (Romania) via Moldova.

Know important points here-

• Airspace in Moldova is closed so Indians are being sent to Bucharest.
• The Embassy is organising two routes for buses - one set of buses for those crossing the Palanca border (Ukraine- Moldova) and being sent directly to Romania without stopping in Moldova.
• Another route has been decided for those who are in the camps located in and around the capital Chisinău.
• The bus services are being provided free of cost.
• Since March 01, about 250 students have crossed over to Romania. They have all been sent by buses organised by Embassy directly to Romania (Bucharest) from the border.
• About 80-100 nationals are still left in and around Chisinău (Capital) and most will be leaving by bus today (on March 02).
• In Bucharest, Indian Embassy is helping the Indian nationals with flights under Operation Ganga.
• The embassy in coordination with Romanian Authorities has ensured that no visa is required to exit Romania via special flights.

The Indian government is currently conducting Operation Ganga to evacuate thousands of Indians stuck in Ukraine in the middle of the Russian invasion. The Indian embassy in Ukraine has also been in constant touch with the students, issuing new advisories each day.

On Tuesday, an Indian student from Karnataka died in the shelling in Ukraine’s Kharkiv. Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, a 21-year-old medical student from Karnataka, was standing in a queue in a grocery store when he was killed by Russian shelling.