9 Indonesians Trapped in Ukraine's Chernihiv City

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry said that nine Indonesians are still trapped in Chernihiv, a city in northern Ukraine—one of the battlegrounds of the Russia-Ukraine war. The Indonesian Embassy in Kyiv continues to monitor their condition virtually, even though the network had been disrupted.

"They are in safe condition and logistics supplies are adequate. They have been asked to remain in Chernihiv because the fights are still ongoing," Judha Nugraha, director of protection for Indonesian citizens and BHI at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said in a statement received Tuesday, March 8.

The Embassy in Kyiv continues to communicate intensively with various parties in Ukraine and Russia to be able to provide safe evacuation routes for Indonesian citizens. The Embassy has also prepared to pick up the Indonesians once a safe passage has been confirmed by the warring nations.

To date, 113 Indonesians have been evacuated from Ukraine, including 80 people who were repatriated on Thursday, 3 March.

There are currently 52 Indonesians who are still in Ukraine. Most of them are married to Ukrainian citizens and choose to stay for family reasons.

Chernihiv has become one of the battlegrounds of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On Saturday, March 5, several explosions were reported.

Read: Besieged Ukrainian City Plans Evacuation Again, Refugee Total Hits 1.5 Million

DANIEL AHMAD