IAF places IL-76 on standby for students evacuation from Moscow

The Indian Air Force has placed its Russian IL 76 strategic lift planes on standby to evacuate Indian students, stranded in Kharkiv and Sumy warzone, from Moscow.

The students numbering around 4,000 are trapped in the northeast war zone and are being evacuated with the fullest support of Ukraine and Russian authorities, who are providing safe passage to the stranded Indians.

According to the south block officials, at least two IL 76 planes will fly out to Moscow later tonight or tomorrow as soon as the students are carted to the Russian capital.

An Indian team of MEA officials are awaiting evacuation through eastern borders for the past week at the Russian city of Belgorod which is within two hours road distance from Kharkiv and Sumy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian president Vladimir Putin on Wednesday night to discuss the evacuation of the Indian students stuck in the Ukraine warzone. He also had a conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. External Affairs minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts.

On the western front, the Indian government has brought back more than 6,200 Indian nationals from the war-hit country. Out of these, at least 2,185 Indian nationals are coming today in 10 flights.

A senior government official said that at least 13,800 Indian nationals will be brought home on commercial flights and another 1,500 on IAF flights. This means at least 15,000 Indians will be back home by March 5.