India asks Embassy Staff in Kyiv to leave immediately amid Russia-Ukraine crisis: Sources

In a big development, India has asked its Embassy Staff in Kyiv to leave Ukraine with immediate effect, sources have reported. The direction has been given to Embassy staff amid tensions and uncertainty over the Russia-Ukraine escalation. Families of Indian Embassy officials in Ukraine have been asked to move back to India, sources reported. Hours ago, the Embassy of Kyiv had issued an advisory for Indian Nationals in Ukraine asking them to leave Ukraine temporarily.

"In view of continued high levels of tensions and uncertainties with respect to the situation in Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily. Available commercial flights and charter flights may be availed for travel for orderly and timely departure," the advisory read.

"Indian students are advised to also get in touch with respective student contractors for updates on charter flights and also continue to follow Embassy Facebook, website and Twitter for any update," it read.

Notably, Tata Group-owned Air India has decided to operate three flights between India and Kyiv starting February 22. The subsequent two flights will be operating on February 24 and 26.

Russia-Ukraine crisis escalates, Air India to operate flights

In the last 24-48 hours, several nations have advised their citizens to evacuate Ukraine as the country seemingly heads towards a full-fledged war with Russia. Earlier today, France asked all its citizens in oblasts of Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk to leave Ukraine and a similar advisory was issued by the German Foreign Ministry which cited the risk of possible military confrontation breaking out on the Ukraine-Russia frontier.

"Travel out of the country in a timely manner," the advisory by the German Foreign Ministry read. "If there is a Russian attack on Ukraine, the options for assisting German nationals are very limited," it added.

Notably, intense military shelling has already begun in the eastern Donbas region controlled by Russia-backed separatists. Ukrainian military sources reportedly said that the incidents of shelling across the line dividing government forces and separatists dramatically increased on Sunday.

A US defence official has estimated that 40% to 50% of Russian troops are deployed near the Ukrainian border, Sky News reported. Tens of thousands of troops, weapons systems and other Russian forces are conducting joint exercises near the Ukrainian border. Apart from assembling near the Ukraine border, Russian warships had also arrived in the Black Sea for naval drills, a move that Kyiv says is a part of a "hybrid war".

(With AP inputs)