Chartered flight brings 480 students back from Russia

As many as 480 Indian medical students, who were stranded in Russia due to the coronavirus- induced restrictions, arrived in Mumbai by a private chartered flight on Monday. Some of the students who came back thanked Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray for the help in facilitating their return.

Shiv Sena's Mumbai-South MP Arvind Sawant told PTI that he advised students who contacted him to tweet to Thackeray for help since he is a cabinet minister and holds charge of the protocol department.

The students, who returned by the Royal Flight from Russia on Monday, included 470 from Maharashtra, four from the Union Territor y of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, four from Madhya Pradesh and two from Goa. "Each student contributed 400 dollars, (around Rs 30,000) for the journey," said Nikesh Ranjan of Delhi-based Nixtour online ticketing company which arranged the flight.

Thackeray helped in coordinating with the Ministr y of External Affairs (MEA), the state government and the Indian embassy for the return of these students, he said.

There were nearly 800 students from the state in Russia and ever yone could not return by flights arranged by the government under the 'Vande Bharat Mission'.

"Some of the students in Russia heard about our evacuation of students from Ukraine and contacted me. I also emailed Aaditya Thackeray and tweeted about the chartered flight and he cooperated,"