Russia-Ukraine: Flight carrying 250 Indian nationals arrives at Delhi airport

The second evacuation flight, carrying 250 Indians from Ukraine, that took off from Bucharest in Romania landed at Delhi airport on Sunday. The Air India (AI)-192 special flight service successfully airlifted the Indian students under 'Operation Ganga' in New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport at 3 am.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union Minister of State For External Affairs V Muraleedharan welcomed the Indian nationals who were safely evacuated from Ukraine via Bucharest at Delhi airport.

Sharing the details of the safe return of Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan shared a tweet thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring Indian nationals from Ukraine as a part of the evacuation mission titled "Operation Ganga".

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.

Air India's third evacuation flight, AI1940, which will depart from Hungarian capital Budapest, is also scheduled to return with evacuees to Delhi on Sunday, government officials said.

The government is not charging the rescued passengers for the evacuation flights, they said.

The Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civil aircraft operations since February 24 morning when the Russian military offensive began. Therefore, the Indian evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest and Budapest.

(With inputs from agencies)