Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday welcomed the first batch of Indian students evacuated from Ukraine at Mumbai Airport and said that the Government will not stop until all of them are back home.
He further said more evacuation flights are being operated and the second flight is likely to land in Delhi in the wee hours of Sunday.
"Since the beginning of this crisis, our main objective was to bring back each and every Indian stranded in Ukraine. 219 students have arrived here. This was the first batch, the second will reach Delhi soon. We'll not stop until all of them are back home," Goyal told ANI.
He asked the returning passengers to speak to their friends still in Ukraine and reassure them not to worry.
He said, "Government is working in mission mode to ensure safety of our citizens. The Minister said that PM Narendra Modi has spoken with the Ukrainian President and stressed about the safety of Indian citizens. The Russians have also promised to help evacuate all Indians."
Piyush Goyal said "glad to see the smiles on the faces of Indians safely evacuated from Ukraine at the Mumbai airport".
The Minister whole heartedly thanked Air India for its commitment to the national cause, which was met with an applause by all the homecoming passengers.
An MBBS student who returned from Ukraine said that there was some fear and panic, but he is very happy to be back to India.
"I had trust upon Indian government that they will definitely bring us back to our country. There was some fear and panic, but we are very happy to be back home," he said.
Air India flight attendant said that students were filled with joy once we landed here in Mumbai.
"We are very happy to bring our students back home. The students were filled with joy once we landed here in Mumbai. Thanks to the Government of India for giving us this opportunity," she added.
The first evacuation flight of Air India, AIC 1944 touched down at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai at 7.50 pm. The aircraft, which had taken off from the Henri Coanda International Airport, Bucharest, Romania this afternoon, brought home 219 passengers, mostly students from India.
A large number of relatives of homebound passengers were present at the arrival concourse of the Mumbai airport to receive their near and dear ones.
Meanwhile, another batch of Indian students entered Hungary from the Ukrainian side at Zahony-Uzhhorod border crossing, travelling onward to Budapest for return to India by Air India flight on Saturday.
Amid the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv has advised Indian citizens against moving to any of the border checkpoints without prior coordination with government officials at border posts.
( With inputs from ANI )
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