The Embassy of Pakistan Ukraine on Saturday managed to evacuate 70 students from the city of Kharkiv, one of the main battlegrounds between Ukrainian and Russian forces, as Russian forces captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol.

The update was also shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a Facebook post. "They will be received today at around 11am by Embassy facilitation desk at Lviv Railway Station," it read.

In search of safety

According to the latest from the ground, Russian forces captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Saturday, reported Russia's Interfax news agency, as Moscow launched coordinated cruise missile and artillery strikes on several cities, including the capital Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials were not immediately available for comment on the fate of Melitopol, a city of about 150,000 people. If the Interfax report citing the Russian defence ministry is confirmed, it would be the first significant population centre the Russians have seized since their invasion began on Thursday.

Stranded Pakistani students

Meanwhile, the Pakistan diplomatic mission has received 23 more Pakistani students at the Lviv Facilitation Desk, coming from different cities of Ukraine including Kyiv. "They are set to be transferred to the Polish border through transportation arranged by the embassy," read another update from the embassy.

"The Embassy of Pakistan Ukraine is evacuating 12 family members of the embassy staff," it said, adding that they are now being transported to the Ukraine-Romania border. The Embassy of Pakistan Romania was providing "all facilitation" on their side of the border.

The Foreign Office added that 34 more Pakistani students were on the way from Kharkiv for Lviv. They boarded the train last night at 2am, it said, adding that the Pakistan Embassy's Lviv Facilitation Desk would receive them and transfer them to the nearest border point.

First two flights of PIA to leave tomorrow

In coordination with the Embassy in Ukraine, Pakistan International Airlines has planned repatriation flights for Pakistanis students stranded in Ukraine. The first two flights would leave tomorrow (Sunday) for Poland from where they will be repatriated to safety and united with their families, the national flag carrier said in a tweet.

Embassy fact sheet

According to a fact sheet, shared by the embassy via PTV News, read the majority of the students have left Ukraine and 600 students are being evacuated. "The approximate number of Pakistani students in different cities of Ukraine are as follows: Kharkiv (250), Poltava (60), Kyiv (240), Vinnitsya (60), and Summy (15)," it read.

Earlier, as many as 35 Pakistani students were evacuated to Poland from Ukraine, as the Eastern European country tries to avert Russian invasion, the Embassy of Pakistan Ukraine said on Friday night.

"They have reached the camp on the Polish side of the border. The Embassy of Pakistan Poland is making arrangements for their transportation to Warsaw," the embassy said in a tweet.

Moreover, Poland has allowed Pakistani citizens stranded in Ukraine to enter Poland by land, Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. According to a public notice issued by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistani citizens can travel onwards within 15 days.

It said that coronavirus-induced restrictions -- including PCR tests, proof of vaccination and quarantine -- have been suspended from Saturday. All those travelling in their personal vehicles should have valid driving licenses, registration at their own names and valid insurance premium. Any person driving a vehicle, not at his name must have a notarised power of attorney along with a certified translation, it added.

In a statement on Friday, the ambassador confirmed that there were 3,000 Pakistanis students in Ukraine and they have been asked to move to safe locations. It added that the bulk of the students have been evacuated as 500-600 students were left in the country.

Earlier, the Foreign Office had shared a statement, according to which 35 Pakistani students in Ukraine were gathered in Ternopil and soon they would be evacuated.

Moreover, the PIA has finalised a repatriation plan for around 2,000 Pakistanis stranded in Ukraine, Business Recorder reported. A PIA spokesman said that a discussion between PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Major General (retd) Noel Khokhar was held to finalise the rescue operations for around 2,000 Pakistanis in Ukraine.

The airline was ready for the repatriation of 2,000 Pakistani students in Ukraine, he said, adding that all Pakistani students would gather in the Ukrainian city of Ternopil where the Pakistani embassy would make an arrangement to transfer them to Poland via land route for PIA repatriation operation. He said that the airline would not operate rescue flights to Ukraine but PIA’s Boeing 777 would repatriate students from Poland.

PIA CEO said that a flight was being prepared, which will be departed as the students arrive in Poland.

The other day, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said that Pakistan’s Embassy in Ukraine was in contact with the country’s students and refuted claims about the death of any student. Before leaving for Russia, FM Qureshi said that he had directed the country’s ambassador in Ukraine to ensure the safety of the Pakistani diaspora – including 3,000 students –there in any uncertain situation.

He added the foreign office was in contact with the embassy for shifting students from apparently risk-prone areas to a safe location and returning students to home.

“Our embassy in 48 hours shifted from Kyiv to Ternopil, it’s a place near to the Polish border so that we can easily evacuate our students. It’s easy to evacuate them from there and we have shared new numbers with our students and we are in contact with them,” FM Qureshi said.

In view of the prevailing situation, many students -- including Pakistanis, are stranded in Ukraine and asking for help from their government.

In a video widely shared on social media, a student accused the embassy of not providing them with any assistance and instead left them to wait in the airport to be evacuated.

Another person who introduced himself as a final year medical student in Kharkiv, feared the critical situation in the country and said the embassy did not facilitate Pakistanis at this time. He also accused the embassy of lying. The student claimed the embassy asked them to come to Kyiv for evacuation flights, which he did after buying a Rs15,000 ticket, but then the embassy canceled that plan and he has lost money on that ticket.