This morning, an Air India special flight departed for Ukraine to bring back Indian nationals who had become stranded in the former Soviet state, which has found itself in the midst of escalating tensions between Russia and the West.
According to ANI, a Dreamliner B-787 aircraft with a capacity of more than 200 seats has been deployed for the special operation. It is scheduled to arrive in Delhi later today. In various parts of Ukraine, over 20,000 Indian students and nationals live.
Air India announced on February 18 that it will operate three Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) flights between India and Ukraine this month, a day after the Indian government removed restrictions on the number of flights to and from Ukraine under the air bubble arrangement. These were scheduled for the 22nd, 24th, and 26th of February. The flights will operate to and from Ukraine’s largest airport, Boryspil International Airport.
Attempts to avert a Russian invasion of Ukraine were dealt a severe blow today when President Vladimir Putin signed mutual aid and friendship treaties with rebel leaders in the Kremlin. “I believe it is time to make a long-overdue decision to recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic,” he said.
Russia has also directed its military to conduct a “peacekeeping mission” in the affected areas. Ukraine has referred to the mission as “occupation troops,” and has demanded that they leave immediately.
