CHENNAI: Of the 1,921 students from Tamil Nadu who were studying medical courses in Ukraine, 1,890 have returned safely. The last set of nine students arrived at Chennai Airport on Saturday. However, the remaining 31 students, who have taken refuge in safer places in Ukraine and nearby countries, didn’t express their willingness to return to Tamil Nadu.
Of the 1,890 students, 1,524 students were brought to Tamil Nadu following the efforts made by the State government, whereas 366 returned on their own. Following the return of the last set of students, Chief Minister MK Stalin telephoned External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and thanked him for evacuating Tamil Nadu students stranded in Ukraine.
At the airport, Stalin received the last set of nine students and the 10-member special team formed to facilitate the safe evacuation of the students. He presented bouquets to the students and shawls to members of the special team, led by Tiruchy N Siva, MP. Thanking the Chief Minister for the help extended by the State government, the students said officials from Tamil Nadu were in constant touch with them since the war began.
An official release said 1,524 students reached their native places in Tamil Nadu on government expenditure. It is not, however, clear whether the State government bore the entire cost of their return journey from Ukraine.
The release, however, said the expenditure for transporting 35 students from Ukraine to Hungary and the cost incurred to transport 160 students to the Ukraine-Romania border and later to Bucharest were fully borne by the State government.
Immediately after the Russia-Ukraine war started, the State government appointed a nodal officer for facilitating the safe evacuation of Tamil Nadu students in Ukraine and a special team was formed for this purpose.