CM Pinarayi Vijayan seeks PM Modi's urgent intervention to set up humanitarian corridor for Indian students stranded in Ukraine

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking to Twitter, the chief minister wrote "Sought PM @narendramodi 's urgent intervention with the Russian leadership to set up a humanitarian corridor for our students to come out of the war zone. Requested urgent steps to provide food and water to those in bunkers with the help of concerned governments and NGOs like @ifrc." Earlier on February 27, Vijayan wrote to Prime Minister and requested an urgent intervention for Indian students stranded in Ukraine.

In his letter, Vijayan said that many people (mostly young students), who have taken refuge in bunkers are going without food and water, and are in a thoroughly disturbed mental state."Those who have taken refuge in bunkers in places of eastern Ukraine like Kiev, Kaekhiv and Sumi are in urgent need of food and water. Urgent help for evacuating them through Russia is required," the letter read. The Chief Minister also mentioned that a large number of students have walked to the Poland border braving freezing cold, but the Ukraine officials are not allowing them to cross the border."There are reports that force is being used against them. Step for sending officials from our embassy, who can effectively communicate with the Ukraine officials at the border may be taken immediately," he requested.

The government said on Wednesday that fifteen flights are scheduled in the next 24 hours to bring back Indians from countries neighbouring Ukraine, which is facing a conflict situation, and that some of these flights are en route their destinations. Briefing the media here on the government's evacuation efforts, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Indian Air Force aircraft has joined Operation Ganga.

"As many as 15 flights are scheduled over next 24 hours, some of these are already en route. Indian Air Force aircraft has joined Operation Ganga, with the first C17 flight from Bucharest expected to return today to Delhi," he said.