Operation Ganga: How India is evacuating its citizens from Ukraine
Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, two more flights under India's flagship Operation Ganga initiative reached Delhi on Monday, carrying a total of 509 stranded Indians from Ukraine. While one arrived from Bucharest in Romania, the other arrived from Budapest, Hungary. Notably, India is operating evacuation flights under Operation Ganga from the neighboring countries of Ukraine to rescue Indian students stuck in Ukraine.
Why does this story matter?
India launched the multi-pronged 'Operation Ganga' to evacuate Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine after Russia invaded it. Currently, a full-fledged war is underway between the two countries, with Russia raining down missiles in several cities of Ukraine. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday after weekslong border tensions over the latter's wish to join the US-led international military alliance NATO.
Don't move to border posts without prior coordination: Indian embassy
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv has advised Indian citizens against moving to any of the border checkpoints without prior coordination with government officials at border posts. "Embassy is finding it increasingly difficult to help the crossing of those Indian nationals who reach border checkpoints without prior intimation," it added. It further said the situation at various border checkpoints is "sensitive."
How is India evacuating its citizens?
India is evacuating its citizens under its flagship Operation Ganga initiative. Since the Ukrainian airspace is closed, the Indian evacuation flights are operating out of Romanian capital Bucharest and Hungarian capital Budapest. India is facilitating the evacuation of stranded Indians from Ukraine through its land border crossings with Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Notably, the Centre is bearing the complete cost of evacuation.
Around 15,000 Indians were stranded in Ukraine
India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said the government had issued adversities before the situation became worse in Ukraine. "4,000 of our nationals had left before the conflict, pursuant to these advisories. We estimated that about 15,000 citizens were left in Ukraine," he added.
A total of 1,346 Indians evacuated
The first Air India flight carrying 219 Indian evacuees took off from Bucharest and landed at the Mumbai airport on Saturday evening. So far, 1,346 Indian nationals have been evacuated from war-hit Ukraine in six Operation Ganga evacuation flights. The latest one, which is the sixth such flight, landed in Delhi on Monday with 240 Indians on board.
Left no stone unturned to bring our citizens back: Modi
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government is "working day and night" to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. "Wherever there is trouble, we left no stone unturned to bring our citizens back," Modi added. Meanwhile, Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will travel to neighboring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuation.
