New Delhi, Feb 26 : India brought back the first batch of 219 Indians from war-hit Ukraine as part of ‘Operation Ganga’, as another flight with 250 nationals was headed back from Bucharest, Romania, today. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in tweets: “Welcome back. First step of #Operation Ganga,” after the arrival of the first flight from Bucharest. He said a second flight from Bucharest has taken off for Delhi with 250 Indian nationals. The flight, Air India flight 1942 from Bucharest to New Delhi, is set to land after 2 am. Students on board the flight voiced appreciation at the government’s efforts to bring them back home safely. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal was present at Mumbai airport on Saturday evening to receive the first batch of Indians, mostly students, who had earlier crossed over from western Ukraine into Hungary. They arrived by an Air India evacuation flight that landed in Mumbai past 7.30 pm. The flight had taken off from the Henri Coanda International Airport, Bucharest, Romania in the afternoon and brought home the 219 passengers, mostly students. Goyal asked the returning passengers to speak to their friends still in Ukraine and reassure them about being evacuated. He said the government is working in mission mode to ensure safety of its citizens still stranded in Ukraine. The Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken with the Ukrainian President and stressed about the safety of Indian citizens. The Minister informed that the Russians have also promised to help evacuate all Indians. Goyal said that more evacuation flights are being operated and the second flight is likely to land in Delhi in the wee hours of Sunday. Over 16,000 Indians mostly students are waiting to be evacuated from Ukraine. Most students are enrolled in various universities in Ukraine for programmes in medicine and engineering. With fighting between Russia and Ukraine intensifying, rescue operations have become challenging.The students had entered Hungary from the Ukrainian side at the Zahony crossing, and travelled onward to Budapest for return to India by the Air India flight. Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that he is personally monitoring the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine. NK-RN
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
