Govt reportedly working on increasing flights between India and Ukraine

Amid ongoing border tension between Russia and Ukraine, sources said discussions are underway with civil aviation authorities and various airlines on how to increase the number of flights between India and Ukraine.

Control rooms in the embassy as well as in the Ministry of External Affairs are being set up to respond to queries of Indian nationals in Ukraine and their families in India, according to the sources.

Earlier, Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked its citizens, particularly students whose stay is not essential, to leave Kyiv temporarily.

In an advisory issued on Tuesday, India also requested its nationals to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence to enable the Embassy to reach them where required.

Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of planning to invade. But Moscow continues to deny such claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country.

White House spokesperson had earlier said that the US would welcome any country's attempt to play a role in de-escalation of mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including India.