A special plane from Ukraine landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Airport this morning, carrying 182 Indian nationals (mostly students) from crisis-hit European countries.

“A special flight operated by Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) landed at Delhi Airport at 7.45am today, including 182 Indian citizens from Kiev, including students,” a representative of the airline told ANI news agency.

It was the airline’s first evacuation flight from Ukraine’s capital, Kiev.

The second flight from Ukraine – an Air India plane – is scheduled to land after taking off from Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport later today.

The plane took off before the Ukrainian government issued a NOTAM (notifying the pilots) to restrict the movement of civil/passenger flights within its airspace.

About 240 Indians were flown back from Ukraine on an Air India Boeing on Tuesday. The flight took off from Kiev and landed at Delhi airport late at night. This is the first of four scheduled evacuation flights, with others scheduled for February 24-26.

Four more are scheduled between February 25 and March 6.

Many of those who flew back from Ukraine were medical students. The government has repeatedly warned Indian nationals in Ukraine, urging them to leave Ukraine as soon as possible.

Earlier today, explosions were heard in Mariupol, in the east of the country, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a “military operation” that sparked an all-out armed conflict in the region. Worry, may attract Western powers.

US President Joe Biden warned of “catastrophic loss of life” following Putin’s statement.

Tensions have escalated since Russia recognized two rebel regions in Ukraine — Donetsk and Luhansk — as separate territories in violation of a 2015 peace plan. This allowed the Kremlin to move troops to Ukraine.

A series of sanctions from countries including the US, UK and EU followed. Russia insists it has no plans to invade Ukraine.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times