Nearly 250 students from Himachal still stranded in war-hit Ukraine: CM

Of them, 53 are students of Kharkiv University, while those in the capital city of Kiev have been evacuated, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur tells state assembly

Nearly 250 students from Himachal Pradesh are still stranded in Ukraine amid the Russian attack, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur informed the state assembly on Thursday.

Indian students, evacuated from crisis-hit Ukraine, upon their arrival at the Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad early on Thursday. As part of Operation Ganga, the first IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft carrying 200 passengers returned to the airbase near Delhi from Bucharest at 1am. (PTI Photo)

Making a statement in the House, the chief minister said that efforts were on at a war-footing to evacuate the 249 stranded students to the neighbouring countries from where they will be brought back home in flights.

He said of the total, 53 students were from Kharkiv University, while all those studying in the capital city of Kiev had been evacuated.

So far, 198 students from Himachal Pradesh have been evacuated from Ukraine. The chief minister appealed to the parents of the stranded students to contact the CM helpline number, 1100. “Till date, the parents of 163 students have been contacted. State government officials are in touch with the families of the students and the Government of India,” he said, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the evacuation efforts, including pressing into service Indian Air Force aircraft for airlifting the students.