First batch from Ukraine to reach by noon; 17 Keralites among returnees

NEW DELHI: The first batch from Ukraine will reach India by noon. Seventeen Malayalees are among the returnees. The flight will land at Delhi. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will receive them at the airport.

Four Air India flights will bring more people to India by today and tomorrow. Steps are being taken to bring people to the border of Ukraine. People will be flown in three flights from the Romanian capital Bucharest and one flight from the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The union cabinet will be convened under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the rescue mission.

The centre has directed the airlines to start more services to India from the border countries of Ukraine. The official estimate is that there are about 20,000 Indians in Ukraine. The Ministry of External Affairs assess that three days are needed to bring back everyone.