Families of embassy staff in Ukraine asked to move back to India

Families of Indian Embassy officials in Ukraine on Sunday have been asked to move back to India, according to sources.

Official sources said families of Indian Embassy officials in Ukraine have been asked to return to India.

The move comes amid apprehensions by Western leaders that Russia was set to invade Ukraine soon as it deployed over 130,000 soldiers, heavy weapons and fighter jets along the Ukrainian border.

It is learnt that the government does not have any plan as of now to send a special aircraft to bring back the family members of the Indian embassy staff as Air India is operating flight from that country on February 22, 24 and 26.

According to an official document in 2020, Ukraine had a small but vibrant Indian community and there were about 18,000 Indian students studying in that country.

In the midst of the escalating tension, Russia and Belarus have extended military drills near the border with Ukraine.

The exercise was scheduled to end on Sunday.

Several Western countries have warned that Russia was poised to attack Ukraine soon.

The US and its Western allies have been severely critical of Russia over its build-up of forces near the Ukraine border.

-- with inputs from PTI, ANI