New Delhi: After overcoming many difficulties, Malayali medical students Arya Aldrin and Anju were able to flee Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, with their pets.
The students had insisted that "if they are to leave, it would be with their pets" amid concerns about bringing pets across the border and onboard the evacuation flights.
A social media campaign too had brewed in support of these students. Finally, the Romanian authorities consented to the students' demands.
With this, Arya was able to bring her five-month-old Siberian Husky pup, Zaira and Anju, her cat, Loki.
While Anju, a native of Chengannur in Alappuzha, arrived at the Hindan Air Force Station in Uttar Pradesh, Idukki-native Arya landed in Delhi International Airport.
Both had to leave behind their books and belongings and walk several miles to reach the Romanian border. They returned home early on Thursday.
Palarivattom couple Adarsh and Swetha had brought back their pet vcats Smoky and Chiltu to Delhi earlier.
According to the union government, over 6,000 Indian students have returned from Ukraine. Among the evacuees were three cats and a dog.
Another Siberian Husky, belonging to Yukta, a fourth-year MBBS student from Maharashtra's Pune also boarded a special IAF flight from Poland.
She was in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine around 70 km off the Poland border, where she found the dog along with her friends and named it "Neela".
A cat belonging to another MBBS student was also on board the same flight, which reached Hindon around 6.15 am.
Two other cats came to India with their Indian masters, who had got them in Ukraine.
