Amid Russian troop build-up, India removes cap on flights from Ukraine

India on Thursday removed restrictions on the number of flights between India and Ukraine as well as the availability of seats on them under an air bubble agreement between the two countries amid tensions in the eastern European nation over a Russian troop build-up.

"Any number of flights as well as charter flights can operate. Indian airlines have been informed to mount the flights due to [an] increase in demand," the civil aviation ministry said in a statement.

Indian authorities have been in talks with airlines on increasing the number of flights from Ukraine to facilitate the return of Indians wanting to leave the country because of the tensions.

An official said the civil aviation ministry is facilitating the additional flights in coordination with the ministry of external affairs.

Control rooms have been established in the Indian embassy in Kyiv and in New Delhi for Indians in Ukraine and their families in India. The embassy has also set up a 24-hour helpline.

The embassy on Tuesday asked Indians in Ukraine, especially students, to consider leaving and to avoid non-essential travel within the country amid fears of an invasion.

Ukraine International Airlines operated flights on the Kyiv-Delhi route under the air bubble arrangement. The other expensive options include flights via Dubai, Sharjah, Doha, Almaty, and Frankfurt.

Over 20,000 Indians, including businessmen and some 18,000 students, live in Ukraine. Some students have expressed concern that all flights to India were fully booked till next week and that there has been an increase in airfares because of the situation in Ukraine.

Western media reports have suggested that Russia has increased the number of troops and more appear to be headed to the borders close to Ukraine even as Moscow has said its soldiers were withdrawing from the region. The tensions remained high amid one of the intense military stand-offs in Europe in decades.