AMARAVATI: Chairperson of the Special Task Force to bring back the affected persons and Principal Secretary M T Krishna Babu said the government has identified 423 students enrolled in seven different universities in war-hit Ukraine on Saturday.

The Andhra Pradesh Government has established contact with them and is giving necessary instructions for their safe return to the State, he said.

The AP Special Task Force has asked the students in Ukraine to follow the advisory of the Ministry of External Affairs and not to come to the Ukrainian borders. He said they were in touch with the Romanian Embassy as the seven universities, where the Telugu students were located, were close to the Romania-Ukraine border.

A help desk has been established in the New Delhi airport to assist the students returning from Ukraine and bring them back to their native places.

Meanwhile, the second flight from Bucharest with 250 Indian students arrived in Delhi on Saturday. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia welcomed the students. Out of these 250 students, 17 were from Telangana and 11 from AP. Authorities have made arrangements to send the Telugu students to AP and Telangana Bhavan where they have been given accommodation and meals. Further arrangements are being made to send them to their respective hometowns. The students heaved a sigh of relief to be back in their homeland. The first flight with 219 students had already reached Mumbai earlier.

Krishna Babu said that other civilians from AP had not come in contact with them however they were collecting details from different agencies in Ukraine.

Hon'ble CM Sri @ysjagan spoke to Hon'ble External Affairs Minister Sri @DrSJaishankar over the phone today & expressed concern for the safety of stranded Telugu students in Ukraine. He also extended full support to the Centre in ensuring that the students return home safely. 1/2
— CMO Andhra Pradesh (@AndhraPradeshCM) February 25, 2022