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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday urged Keralites stranded in Ukraine, who are yet to enlist with the government's Non-Resident Keralites welfare agency Norka Roots, to get registered at the earliest.
According to CM Vijayan, 180 students would reach Kochi from Delhi in a chartered flight this evening.
"180 students will be flown down from Delhi to Kochi in an @AirAsiaIndia chartered flight at 4 pm, by the Govt. of Kerala. We are ensuring that all Keralites repatriated from #Ukraine, reach back safe and sound. Those who are yet to register should do so with @Norka_Roots," Kerala Chief Minister wrote on Twitter.
He requested Kerala people in Ukraine to follow the advisory of the Indian Embassy which urged all Indians to leave the city of Kyiv urgently by any means. The advisory came amid increasing fighting between Russian forces and Ukrainian troops around Kyiv.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that six flights carrying 1,377 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine have departed for India in the last 24 hours under 'Operation Ganga'.
Also, three Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft are scheduled to fly to Poland, Hungary, and Romania to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine.
Besides, the IAF aircraft will be carrying tents, blankets, and other humanitarian aid. One C-17 Globemaster took off at 4 am earlier today for Romania under 'Operation Ganga'.
Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised Ukraine to help with military aid to fight Russia.
The US, Canada, and European allies agreed to remove key Russian banks from the interbank messaging system, SWIFT, which means Russian banks won't be able to communicate securely with banks beyond Russia's borders. President Putin has also signed a decree on special economic measures against the US and its allies.
Fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country's borders, according to the UN refugee agency.
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