The Union ministry of education (MoE) on February 26 appealed to the Indian students stranded in Ukraine to follow all the guidelines issued by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy, assuring them that all possible efforts were being made by India to bring them back safely from the war-hit country.
"The Government of India is making all possible efforts to bring our students back from Ukraine. We appeal to our students to follow all advisories and guidelines being issued by the MEA (ministry of external affairs) and the Indian embassy," the MoE said in a tweet.
About 16,000 Indians, mostly students, are stranded in Ukraine as Russia's invasion of the east European country entered its third day on February 26. Many of the students studying medicine in Kharkiv and Kyiv have been forced to take refuge in basements of medical colleges and bunkers as the situation continues to remain volatile in Ukraine.
As tension escalated in Ukraine and worried families back in India counted the hours till their children returned home, several state governments requested the Centre to make immediate arrangements for their safe evacuation.
Several states, including West Bengal and Jharkhand, have also set up control rooms and helpline numbers for the families of students stranded in the war-ravaged country.