'Identify Bomb Shelters Nearby, Carry Your Passport': Indian Embassy in Ukraine

This is the third advisory issued today for Indian nationals and students stranded in Ukraine.

The city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, 24 February.

(Photo: PTI/AP/Emilio Morenatti)

As Russia invaded Ukraine, the Embassy of India in Ukraine on Thursday, 24 February, issued another advisory to Indian nationals and students stranded in Ukraine, asking them to identify bomb shelter locations in Kyiv via Google Maps. In its third advisory of the day, the Embassy also urged all to carry their identification documents at all times.

It said, "We are aware that certain places are hearing air sirens/bomb warnings. In case you are faced with such a situation, Google Maps has a list of nearby bomb shelters, many of which are located in underground metros," inserting a link in the advisory.

The Embassy of India in its previous advisory urged Indian nationals in the country to carry their passports at all times, and offered assurance of evacuation arrangements.

"In view of closure of Ukrainian air space, schedule of special flights stands cancelled. Alternative arrangements are being made for evacuation of Indian nationals. Embassy will convey information as soon as such arrangements are finalized, so that Indian nationals can relocate to the western part of the country."

Indian Embassy in Ukraine

"Please carry your passports and necessary documents on your person at all times," the advisory stated.

Partha Satpathy, the Indian ambassador in Ukraine, on Thursday asked the stranded Indian nationals to maintain calm and remain safe wherever they were. He said the Indian government was working on a mission mode to find a solution to this difficult situation.

Calling the situation in Ukraine "highly uncertain," the embassy, in another advisory issued earlier on Thursday, advised all those travelling towards Kyiv to return to their respective cities, "especially towards safer western bordering countries."

The Situation in Ukraine

Soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special operation" on Ukraine, effectively declaring war, air raid sirens went off in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Thursday, 24 February, with reports of air strikes, missile attacks, and explosions.

More than 40 Ukrainian soldiers, and around 10 civilians killed have been killed so far, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

Hundreds of citizens rushed out of the city, while others took shelter in underground metro stations and basements against shelling.

Martial Law has been declared in the country, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming that military bases around the country had come under attack. The country has also broken all diplomatic ties with Russia.

Security camera footage shows a a line of Russian military vehicles, including tanks and other equipment, crossing into Ukraine from Russian-annexed Crimea, AP reported.

Catch the live updates on the Russia-Ukraine crisis here.