Situation tense, uncertain: Indian envoy in Ukraine tells stranded nationals
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 Feb, 2022 12:47 PM
Kiev/New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) The situation is highly tense and very uncertain and this of course is causing a lot of anxiety, said Indian Ambassador to Ukraine on Thursday reaching out to stranded Indian nationals.
Partha Satpathy, Indian Ambassador to Ukraine, said, "I am reaching out to you from Kiev. Today early morning, we all woke up with the news that Ukraine is under attack."
The air space is closed, railway schedules are in a flux and roads are crammed, he said requesting everyone to stay calm and face the situation with fortitude.
The Embassy continues to remain open and operate in Kiev, Satpathy said.
He urged Indian nationals to please stay wherever they are, in their familiar locations. "Those who are in transit, please return to your familiar places of habitation. Those who are stranded here in Kiev, please get in touch with your friends and colleagues in Kiev, universities and other community members, so that you can temporarily lodge there," he said.
The Ambassador said, "We have already reached out to the Indian Diaspora and have requested them to assist to the best of our abilities."
He said that he is inundated with calls, so is the Embassy and they are doing their best to help.
"If there is a critical emergency, contact us on the emergency lines provided. Please follow our social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Website) for any updates that we will be putting out," he stated.
As of now, Indian government are seized of the situation and working on a mission mode to find a solution to this difficult situation, he added.
Earlier in the day, the Indian embassy in Ukraine announced that they are making alternative arrangements for evacuation of stranded nationals.
The Ministry of External Affairs in touch with all the neighbouring countries surrounding Ukraine to even evacuate Indian citizens. Many citizens who were to fly back to India were left at the airport after closure of Ukrainian airspace following Russia's Vladimir Putin announcement of a military operation in Ukraine.
Beginning next week, travelers heading to the U.S. will be required to show evidence of a negative test for the virus within one day of boarding their flight. The previous period was three days.
The suspect in a Michigan school shooting will face charges of terrorism and first-degree murder following a rampage that left four students dead and seven injured. He has pleaded not guilty. Police are yet to identify a motive in the attack.
David is accused of fatally shooting the five victims aged 11, 7, 2, 1 and 51 at the family home on the 3,500 block of Garnet Lane in Lancaster in northern Los Angeles County, according to the news release.
The Omicron variant was first reported to the WHO by South Africa last week. So far, several countries and regions have confirmed cases of infection with Omicron. Dozens of countries have already tightened travel measures, and even suspended flights, Xinhua news agency reported.
Residents of Kabul complain that gunmen linked to the Taliban government have lately been checking their mobile phones, thus violating their privacy, Pajhwok News reported. Concerned at the unwarranted checks, they said the practice amounts to trampling on human rights and respect for their privacy.
Even as the world is entering a third year into the Covid-19 pandemic, the infectious disease that claimed the lives of more than 5 million people so far is far from over, the WHO said on Monday.
