Bhubaneswar, Mar 7 (PTI) There were joy and tears of relief at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here as 77 Odia students who were stranded in war-hit Ukraine returned to their state to the welcome by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

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The students were brought to Bhubaneswar in an Air Asia special flight arranged by the Odisha government.

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Patnaik interacted with the students, who expressed joy over their return, and assured them that efforts would be made to allow them to continue their education.

He had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday seeking the Centre's assistance to facilitate medical students who are being forced to return from Ukraine due to the war.

As many as 44 students from Odisha had reached New Delhi on Sunday, taking the total number of them to 305 since Operation Ganga began on February 26.

More students from Odisha, who are stuck in Sumy in north eastern Ukraine, are also getting ready to be evacuated amid the ceasefire declaration by Russia, official sources said.

Patnaik had spoken to the first batch of Odia students on their arrival in New Delhi on February 28 through video conferencing.

During the interaction on Monday, the students informed Patnaik how the state government and the ministry of external affairs helped them to reach India.

Many students said that the last seven days were the hardest in their lives as they moved from the bunkers and crossed the Ukraine border.

"Every moment was crucial. None knew when one may be hit by a bomb or a missile," a woman student said.

She said that many of the students could get just a piece of bread to eat and a glass of water to drink.

The sub-zero temperature in Ukraine and Russia was another impoderable besides bombs and missiles, the students said and appreciated chief minister and state government's efforts to bring them back to Odisha.

Their parents who stood with them had tears in their eyes.

The state government is yet to state the exact number of students trapped in Ukraine.

Over 300 students from the state have been evacuated so far from Ukraine.

As per estimates about 380 students have so far moved to safer zones and crossed the borders from Ukraine into Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia by March 4, officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)