An Air India flight from Romania carrying over 200 Indian nationals evacuated from war-torn Ukraine landed at Mumbai airport on Saturday night, officials said.
Since the Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civilian flights in the wake of the Russian invasion, some 209 stranded Indians, including students, were evacuated to Romanian capital Bucharest.
“The evacuated Indians boarded the Air India flight from Bucharest. The flight landed at 8pm (local time),” a senior aviation official told the media.
Earlier in the day, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar took to Twitter to share pictures of the evacuees on the flight. “I am personally monitoring. The first flight to Mumbai with 219 Indian nationals has taken off from Romania,” he wrote.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately halt military action against Ukraine, underscoring the need for a diplomatic solution to the standoff.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s envoy in Delhi sought Modi’s intervention in ending the Russian offensive.
“Modi ji is one of the most powerful, respected world leaders. You have a privileged, strategic relation with Russia. If Modiji speaks to Putin we are hopeful he’ll respond,” Ukraine’s Ambassador Igor Polikha had told the local media.
“India should be much more actively engaged, given the privileged relation India has with Russia. Not just for our safety, but of your own citizen’s safety too, we need intervention of India.”
An estimated 15,000 Indians are said to be currently in Ukraine.
Source: United News of Bangladesh