Rahul Gandhi appeals for ‘urgent evacuation’ of Indian students in Ukraine amid Russia invasion

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke about the worrying situation of Indian students stuck in Ukraine as Russia continues its devastating invasion.

He shared a video containing visuals of the students camping in bunkers in Ukraine and pleading with the Indian government for help. The 51-year-old MP wrote on Twitter, “Visuals of Indian students in bunkers are disturbing. Many are stuck in eastern Ukraine which is under heavy attack.”

“My thoughts are with their worried family members. Again, I appeal to GOI to execute urgent evacuation,” he added.

Also Read: Fear, calm among Ukrainians as Russian troops enter

In a fresh advisory issued Saturday, India asked citizens in Ukraine to ‘not move to any border posts without coordination’ while the country is carrying out evacuation work. 

“All Indian Citizens in Ukraine are advised to not move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with Government of India officials at the border posts and the Emergency numbers of the Embassy of India,” the Indian Embassy said.

Also read: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Russia of acting like ‘Nazi Germany’

Earlier on Friday, the country grappled with complexities in evacuating its citizens from Ukraine through land border crossings in view of rapidly advancing Russian troops and chaotic ground situation. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the predicament of Indian nationals stranded with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Notwithstanding the difficult ground situation, India managed to set up camp offices in Lviv and Chernivtsi towns in western Ukraine to facilitate the transit of Indians to Hungary, Romania and Poland, PTI reported official sources as saying.

India is trying to evacuate its nationals through Ukraine’s land borders with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia after the Ukrainian government closed the country’s airspace following the Russian military offensive.

Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday after months of military build-up at the border. Moscow’s forces on Friday closed in on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv in an apparent encircling movement after a barrage of airstrikes on cities and military bases around the country. 

More than 130 Ukrainian soldiers were killed on the first day of fighting after Russian forces stormed into the country.