Opposition leaders on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of not making timely arrangements to bring back Indians living in war-struck Ukraine.

More than 15,000 Indians are living in Ukraine, the country’s envoy to India Igor Polikha said at a press conference on Thursday.

Making a reference to the migrant workers who had to walk back to their villages during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala held the government responsible for “turning away its face in every difficult situation”.

“Our 20,000 Indian youth in Ukraine are forced to grapple with fear, apprehension and life-threatening situations,” Surjewala said in a tweet.

Early on Thursday morning, Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin launched a “special military operation”. The Indian embassy in Kyiv has urged those living in Ukraine to maintain calm and said that alternative arrangements were being made for the evacuation of Indian nationals.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in a tweet, said that he had been receiving several messages from families of students stranded in Ukraine.

“Mr Prime Minister, this is not the time for election strategy but for diplomatic strategy.” Tharoor wrote in a tweet. “Thousands of our children who have gone to study in Ukraine are stuck there, understand the priority.”

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted a video of Indians stranded outside the embassy in Kyiv.

“This is what I have been raising with MEA [Ministry of External Affairs] and Civil Aviation Ministry,” she wrote on Twitter.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded that the government should immediately act towards the evacuation of Indians from Ukraine.

“Families are deeply concerned for the safe return of their children studying in Ukraine,” he tweeted. “Government of India should carry out its responsibility immediately.”

Meanwhile, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the government was taking all measures to bring back Indian citizens from Ukraine, including students, ANI reported.

“India wants peace to prevail and no situation promoting a war should arise,” he told reporters.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that flights were flown to Ukraine earlier.

“Today also flights were flown to Ukraine but after three hours when things started escalating those flights came back,” he said, according to ANI. “Whenever the air space will open, we will fly the flights again.”

On Thursday, a Ukraine International Airlines flight from Kyiv landed at the Delhi airport, PTI reported. Those on board were mostly students who returned after the Indian embassy in Kyiv issued multiple advisories on February 22 and February 20, asking them to leave Ukraine temporarily.