Ukraine-Russia tension worries Indian, Ukrainian families

Moradabad/Amroha (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 18 (ANI): Amid the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, Indians living in Ukraine and their families residing in India have not been left untouched by the stress and fear that such a global political situation brings to all.
On one hand, there are Ukrainians, residing in India, who are fearful of going back to their home nation because of ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia and on the other hand, are children pursuing their academic courses in Ukraine but are away from their loved ones during this hour of apprehension and distress. Their families urge the Government of India to ensure that their children are brought back safely to them.
Allona Singh, a Ukrainian woman, married to a doctor residing in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad in 2007, is having apprehensions about sending her father, who has been residing with the family in UP since July 2021, back to his home country.
Her family's homeplace is just an hour and a half away from Kharkiv, Ukraine.
"My brother lives there, some relatives and friends too. My father had come with me in July last year. My father wants to go back because he misses his son and the way of living there. Here, the weather, food etc has changed. My father says he wants to go but circumstances are scary over there. Things are okay at my home place though," said Allona to ANI.
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Allona says that she does not follow news about the current situation in Ukraine and is regularly in touch with her relatives and brothers who are doing fine there.
She says if Russia attacks Ukraine, it will disrupt businesses heavily and cause a lot of losses. "A lot of factories have been shut down," added Allona.
On the other hand in Amroha, another family is anxious about the well-being of their daughter who is currently pursuing her MBBS in Ukraine.
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Satendra Singh, her father, made a request to the Government of India to ensure safe return to the country of all the children currently pursuing their higher studies in Ukraine.
"My daughter Anjali has gone to Ukraine in December, 2020 to pursue her MBBS. Circumstances over there are not good currently. We are fearful because our children are living there. I request the government of India to bring back all the children studying there back to India safely," said Singh.
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Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months as Russia and NATO are accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of preparing to invade. Meanwhile, Moscow denies the claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country.
The conflict in Donbas between Ukraine's government and the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics has been going on since 2014. The Minsk Agreements, designed to find a political resolution to the conflict, were negotiated by the leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine -- the Normandy group -- in February 2015. However, the agreement has so far not been observed and sporadic clashes continue.
Earlier, India called for immediate de-escalation of Russia-Ukraine border tensions. Tirumurti said the Russia-Ukraine military tensions can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has removed the restriction on the number of flights that can be operated between India and Ukraine under the bilateral air bubble arrangement to facilitate the travel of Indians from the eastern European country.
"MoCA has removed the restriction on a number of flights and seats between India-Ukraine in Air Bubble arrangement. Any number of flights and Charter flights can operate. Indian airlines were informed to mount flights due to an increase in demand. MoCA facilitating in coordination with MEA," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.
On February 15, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked its citizens to leave Kiev temporarily amid the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine.
In an advisory, India also requested its nationals to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence to enable it to reach them where required. (ANI)