A health professional from Kerala who is working in Ukraine has said that many Indians could not return home before Russia’s Ukraine invasion on Thursday because of the exorbitant flight fare.
“Many Indian students wanted to go home when the tension was building up last week. But Air India’s unaffordable flight charges forced them to stay put in Ukraine,” Dr Ansar Siddique told Manorama News TV a few hours after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the military operation against Ukraine on Thursday. In a televised address, he stated that the action was 'intended to protect civilians'.
Siddique said the Indian Embassy in Ukraine had informed the students that special flights would be operated on February 25, 27 and March 5 from Boryspil to New Delhi. “Students were eager to go home, but they decided against it because of the unaffordable fares,” he said.
Some students, however, went to the United Arab Emirates first before taking connection flights back home. “They were lucky to get affordable tickets,” he said.
He said parents in Kerala are worried about the plight of their wards and the government should immediately repatriate them. “The Central and Kerala governments should help us,” he said.
‘We were told to stay home’
Two students from Kerala, who are stuck in Ukraine, told Manorama News TV that they could hear sirens from distant places. “We could hear scary sirens from all around our place. We were told to sit at home. We are worried,” one of them said.
The other student hoped the Indian government would step in quickly to solve the crisis. “We cannot go back home because of the unaffordable fares. Hope our governments will help us,” he said.
‘Unable to contact my daughter’
Kerala resident Pushpa, whose daughter is studying in Ukraine, told Manorama News TV that her daughter is currently housed in a hotel in Ukraine.
“Her flight was scheduled to leave Ukraine at 11am (IST), but tension had escalated by then. So the Indian Embassy officials transferred all the Indian travellers to a nearby hotel. I couldn’t contact her after that. I don’t know when she could come back,” said Pushpa.
She requested the Indian government to take immediate measures to bring back the stranded students. “We hope the government will act immediately,” she said.
