#OperationGanga : Air India Successfully Brings Back Second Batch Of 250 Indians From War Ravaged Ukraine To Delhi ; Third On Route

Picture : Twitter / ANI

Air India’s second evacuation flight from Romanian capital Bucharest carrying 250 Indian nationals who were stranded in Ukraine landed at the Delhi airport in the early hours of Sunday.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia welcomed the evacuees at the airport by handing out roses to them.

Speaking to ANI a student who returned from Ukraine  recalled the nightmare, Students are in panic but the situation was much better where we were staying (near the Romania border) in comparison to other areas of Ukraine.

India on Saturday began the evacuation of its stranded citizens amid the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, with the first evacuation flight, AI1944, bringing back 219 people from Bucharest to Mumbai in the evening.

The second evacuation flight, AI1942, carrying 250 Indian citizens landed at the Delhi airport around 2.45 am on Sunday, the officials said.

Air India’s third evacuation flight, AI1940, which has departed from Hungarian capital Budapest, is also scheduled to return with 240 evacuees to Delhi on Sunday, they said.

Addressing the returnees, Scindia said, “I know you all have been through a very, very difficult time, a very, very trying time. But know this that the PM is with you at every step, the Indian government is with you at every step, and 130 crore Indians are with you at every step.”

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and talks are being held so that everyone is brought home safely.

The minister said talks are also on with the Russian government and the Indian government will breathe easy only after each and every stranded Indian is evacuated from Ukraine.

“So, please pass on this message to all your friends and all your colleagues that we are with them and we will guarantee their safe passage back,” Scindia said.

“I welcome you all on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I would like to congratulate the team of Air India too, for putting in so much effort to bring you all back,” he added.