Over 250 Delhi residents stranded in Ukraine return

Nearly 630 residents are still stranded in Ukraine and are trying to get back to Delhi with the help of the Indian government. A total of 878 students from Delhi were identified as stuck in Ukraine, where a war is currently raging following the invasion by Russia on February 24.

Over 250 Delhi residents who were stranded in war-torn Ukraine returned home on Thursday, including 39 who arrived at the Hindon Air Force Base, government officials coordinating the rescue and repatriation efforts said.

Parents receive students returning from Ukraine at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Thursday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Nearly 630 residents are still stranded in Ukraine and are trying to get back to Delhi with the help of the Indian government. A total of 878 students from Delhi were identified as stuck in Ukraine, where a war is currently raging following the invasion by Russia on February 24.

According to a report released by the Delhi government on Thursday evening, 299 of 878 Delhi residents stranded in Ukraine have returned home. The state officials have contacted 624 families of those stranded in Ukraine and visited a total of 606 families so far.

The Delhi government has also mobilised district authorities to get in touch with families of these residents — mostly students who moved to Ukraine for medical studies — and offer them all possible help and assurance for the safe return of their loved ones.

“District magistrates, ADMs, SDMs and other officers of the revenue department are personally meeting the families of students and assuring them that all efforts are being made by the central government for their welfare and Operation Ganga has been launched for the safe repatriation of all Indians,” said an official of the Delhi government, asking not to be named.

Harish Sharma, a resident of Duggal Colony, said he is in touch with his son, Siddhant Bharadwaj, 20, who is stranded near Kharkiv. “My son is currently safe. He is a first year MBBS student at Kharkiv National Medical University. We were in shock after learning that a student from that college was killed outside a grocery store on Tuesday. We tried to reach my son immediately but were unable to do so. We dropped him several messages, but none got delivered. After around 1.5 hours of incessant trying, we finally managed to speak to him. It was a big relief for all of us to hear that he was safe,” said Sharma, a businessman.

Poonam Sharma, the mother of a student who continues to be stranded in the war-torn country, has appealed to the government to intensify its rescue efforts.

The Delhi government is also providing conveyance to all those arriving at the Hindon Airforce Base or the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the students are being provided conveyance to their respective homes in Delhi.

The Delhi government has set up a control room for the purpose and can be reached at 011-20837032 and also through ddma.delhi@delhi.gov.in