Assam students stranded in Ukraine reach India

Guwahati, Feb 27 (PTI) At least four students from Assam were among the first batch of Indian nationals evacuated from war-torn Ukraine as they landed at Mumbai and New Delhi on separate flights since late Saturday night.

While Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the arrival of two students at Mumbai on the first flight from Ukraine that touched down on Indian soil with the evacuees, another source said that two more students reached New Delhi early on Sunday on the next plane.

"We welcome our students -- Tanmayee & Siya, successfully evacuated from Ukraine and who have reached Mumbai just now," Sarma tweeted late on Saturday night.

He said they were received by Assam Bhavan officials at Mumbai and all arrangements for their stay and free travel to Guwahati were being made.

"Our teams will ensure all assistance to such students," Sarma added.

Another source said that two more Assamese students were on the flight that reached Delhi early on Sunday.

India had on Saturday begun the evacuation of its stranded citizens amid the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, with the first evacuation flight bringing back 219 people from Bucharest to Mumbai in the evening.

The Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civil aircraft operations since February 24 morning when the Russian military offensive began. The Indian evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest and Budapest.

The Assam government had on Saturday initiated the process for collecting details of people from the state stranded in Ukraine.

It had circulated a Google sheet through social media, urging people to fill up the details so that the state government can have a centralised database for further action as required.

Sarma had also spoken to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday regarding the evacuation of people from Assam stranded in Ukraine.

As per estimates, more than 100 students hailing from Assam are presently stranded in different parts of Ukraine. PTI SSG ACD ACD