14 Indonesian Failed to Evacuate from Ukraine Due to COVID

TheIndonesia.id - Fourteen Indonesian nationals who live in Ukraine failed to evacuate since 12 of them tested positive for COVID-19. Two others chose to stay to accompany their family members who have been exposed to the virus.

They are now staying in the Indonesia embassy in Bucharest, Romania, remain to be flown back to Indonesia. "The 14 people will continue to be monitored and accommodated by the Indonesian Embassy in Bucharest. Once they have recovered, they will be sent home by commercial aircraft," Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said, Thursday, March 3, 2022.

Eighty Indonesian citizens (WNI) who have been evacuated from Ukraine arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang City, Banten Province, on Thursday. They were received by Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi.

At a virtual press conference on Thursday, the Minister informed that the evacuees arrived at 5:10 p.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB) on an aircraft belonging to Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.

In addition to the 80 WNIs, there were three foreigners (WNAs) who were related to them, she noted.

They were picked up from Bucharest, Romania, after leaving Ukraine following Russia’s military attack on the country, she said.

"The pick-up team left Jakarta for Bucharest on March 1, 2022, at 6:40 p.m. WIB, and arrived at Henri Coanda Airport, Bucharest, Romania, on March 2, 2022, at 3:10 p.m. local time," the minister added.

The evacuees departed from Bucharest to Tangerang City on March 2, 2022, at 8:23 p.m. local time, Marsudi said. The journey home took approximately 17 hours, she added.

On the same occasion, Minister Marsudi lauded the Indonesian embassies in Bucharest, Warsaw, Kyiv, and Moscow, as well as all the parties involved in the evacuation process.

In addition, she thanked the pick-up team, which consisted of military personnel, State Intelligence Agency (BIN) officers, Garuda Indonesia officials, and other stakeholders. "We also thank the Defense Ministry that has given advice during the evacuation process," the minister added.