3,352 Indians have returned from Ukraine on evacuations flights so far
There were celebrations, hugs, smiles and tears at the Delhi airport on Wednesday as more evacuation flights arrived from Ukraine's neighbouring countries - Romania, Hungary and the first ones from Poland.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the total number of Indians who have returned through evacuation flights is 3,352 as of Wednesday evening. This figure is part of the nearly 17,000 Indian nationals who have left Ukraine since the initial advisories were issued.
At the Delhi airport, the Mathur family from Delhi waited for 20-year-old Ayushi Mathur who was stuck at Poland border for three days. She is a third year MBBS student at Lviv Medical University in Western Ukraine. From her teenage cousins to toddlers, all arrived to welcome their sister with garlands and the tricolour.
Her uncle Harish Mathur said, "She is the only sister among seven brothers. They said that they also want to go and see their sister. They were waiting desperately for her to come back."
"There was suffocation and huge crowds. I was stuck at Poland border for three days. The Indian Embassy helped once students reached Poland. The embassy provided the best of hotels, food and medical services," Ayushi Mathur told NDTV.
While parents are relieved that their children are safe, they are also concerned that uncertainty looms over their future. Ayushi's mother Devki Mathur said, "For us the first and foremost priority was her safe return. But of course, later we will have to think about her career. She is in her third year of MBBS and was preparing for her exams when the violence unfolded. Now we don't know even if online education will be possible or not from the University's end. We had weighed in all options before sending her. People said it is a good place to study and one can join in as a Doctor in the Defence sector after coming back. Now, I do not know what is going to happen."
Union Ministers like Smriti Irani, Jitendra Singh and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat welcomed the students who arrived in Delhi on Wednesday.
On the other hand, Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia interacted with students at the Bucharest airport in Romania while General VK Singh distributed food and water to the students at the Poland border.
In video clips of the interaction, Mr Scindia was seen telling the students, "I want you all to know and tell your other friends as well that Modi ji has said that each and every student will be brought back to India safely."
A C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force left for Romania on Wednesday with humanitarian assistance and will bring back students. Another C-17 aircraft will bring back students from Rzeszow in Poland.