Muristek
New Delhi, February 15
As tensions spiral between Russia and the West, India has asked its citizens, particularly students studying in Kyiv to leave the country.
Russia says some troops near Ukraine returning to base
A notice from the Indian Embassy in Kyiv said Indians, "whose stay is not essential'', should leave Ukraine temporarily in view of uncertainties of the current situation.
The Embassy has also asked Indians to keep it informed about the status of their presence so that diplomats could reach out to them immediately in the crises. The Embassy will, however, continue to function formally unlike the US which closed its Embassy and relocated its small number of remaining diplomatic personnel to Lviv, a city in western Ukraine. The US embassy had been burning classified documents and destroying sensitive equipment ahead of the closure.
The Embassy has advised Indians in Ukraine to follow their website, Facebook and Twitter pages for further updates, which would be published as and when required.
There are about 20,000 Indian students in Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said earlier this month "there are much more complicated and dangerous places across the world compared to Ukraine.'' He had asked the Indian students to feel safe, continue their studies and enjoy their life.