India evacuates its nationals from violence-hit Ukrainian city

New Delhi, Jun 3: India has made arrangements to evacuate all its nationals, mainly students, from violence-hit Ukrainian city of Lugansk to

, top officials said today.

The evacuation arrangements were made in cooperation with the Ukrainian government, they said. Indian authorities have arranged 500 train tickets for today to evacuate the Indian nationals.

Another 500 train tickets have been arranged for tomorrow to evacuate the remaining Indian students and nationals.

In a letter to the Rector of Lugansk State Medical University, Indian Ambassador in Kiev Rajiv K Chander said, "The university authorities may please inform the local administration about the en masse departure of the Indian students so that adequate security arrangements are made to enable them to reach the railway station safely."

Special train arrangements have been made in Ukraine for Indian nationals

Chander requested the university authorities to ensure that the students board the train and leave Lugansk, some 800 kms from the Ukrainian capital Kiev. India last week issued an advisory asking its nationals to leave Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine which is witnessing frequent violent clashes between pro-Russian separatists and government forces.

In the advisory, it also asked citizens in the other parts of eastern and southern Ukraine to remain vigilant about their personal safety and security. Eastern Ukraine is witnessing a fierce escalation of violence between the two sides over the past few days.

The violence started after Russia annexed Crimea - an autonomous peninsula within Ukraine with a Russian ethnic majority - in March following which the pro-Russian rebels seized control of parts of eastern Ukraine and demanded its independence.

PTI