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Efforts are being made to evacuate Indian students trapped in the eastern part of Ukraine. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, so far 18,000 Indian citizens have been safely brought to India from Ukraine under Operation Ganga. In the last 24 hours, 15 flights have come to India. 18 flights will be sent to Ukraine for the next 24 hours. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi gave this information. He told that 3 of these flights are of Indian Air Force C-17, others are commercial flights. These include Air India, Indigo, Spice Jet, Go Air and Go First flights.
Meanwhile, Russia has prepared one hundred and thirty buses to evacuate Indians and citizens of other countries stranded in Kharkiv and Sumy cities. This information was given by the head of the Russian National Defense Control Center, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday and talked about the safe evacuation of Indians from the war-affected areas of Ukraine. The head of the Russian National Defense Control Center said – from 6 am today a total of 130 comfortable buses are ready from the Nekhotyevka and Sudzha posts in the Belgorod region.
After rescuing the Indians trapped in Ukraine, the Indian government will return home by March 10. Sources told news agency ANI – A total of 80 flights will be deployed for this. 24 ministers of the central government are being entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining their arrangements. A total of 35 flights will arrive from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, including 14 of Air India, eight of Air India Express, seven of IndiGo, one of SpiceJet, three of Vistara and two of Indian Air Force. A total of 28 flights have been deployed from Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
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Under Operation Ganga, there will be 18 flights carrying 3726 Indians in the next 24 hours. At the same time, three more C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Air Force have left to bring Indian students. These planes will reach Romania, Hungary and Poland. On Thursday afternoon, a flight carrying 183 Indians from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, reached Mumbai.
As part of Operation Ganga, the first four IAF C-17 aircraft used airfields in Romania, Hungary and Poland to evacuate Indians and also transported 9.7 tonnes of relief material.
The Air Force’s first C-17 Globemaster aircraft carrying 200 Indians landed at Hindon airbase in the early hours of Thursday as part of Operation Ganga bringing back Indian students stranded in Ukraine. The plane took off from Bucharest, Romania. So far 808 Indians have returned from 4 Globemasters. Minister of State for Defense Ajay Bhatt welcomed the passengers. On the other hand, the Russian Embassy in India has claimed that Ukraine is using it as a human shield by taking Indian students hostage. However, the Ministry of External Affairs said that they have not received any such report so far.
Prime Minister Modi met students who had returned from Ukraine in Varanasi on Thursday. These students shared their experiences. Among them were students from Banaras as well as other parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Ministry of External Affairs claims 3000 Indians returned home in 16 flights from March 2 to 3, 18 more flights scheduled
The Ministry of External Affairs has claimed that 3000 Indians returned home in 16 flights from March 2 to March 3. At the same time, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed that 18 thousand Indian citizens have returned to India so far. Under Operation Ganga, 30 flights have so far reached India carrying 6,400 Indians from Ukraine.
18 flights scheduled in 24 hours
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 18 more flights have been scheduled in the next 24 hours. Of these, 3 flights are Indian Air Force C-17, the rest are commercial flights, with flights from Air India, Indigo, Spice Jet, Go Air and Go First. The flights that have been scheduled include 7 Bucharest, 5 Budapest, 2 Rejesjo, 1 Koi, as well as a new location near the Romanian border, the city of Suceva, from which 2 aircraft will take off. Of these, 16 flights will fly to Delhi on 3rd and 4th March, 2 flights will fly to Mumbai on 4th March.
Ministry of External Affairs – Large number of Indians will return in 2-3 days
Arindam Bagchi said during the press briefing, ‘We are scheduling more flights and a large number of Indians will return in the next 2-3 days. I would like to express my appreciation to the Government of Ukraine and the neighboring countries for hosting and providing assistance in the evacuation of our people.’
The spokesman further said that there is no information about any Indians being held hostage in Ukraine. The route we find convenient for evacuation of Indian nationals. We’ll get them out of there. “This number of flights reflects the large number of Indians who have crossed over from Ukraine and are now in neighboring countries. We are trying to bring all these Indian citizens back to India at the earliest.
A spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said that 15 flights are scheduled for tomorrow and 18 in the next 24 hours. A new location in Romania, Suchiava, has been identified from where efforts to bring back Indians through flights will be stepped up.
Delhi-Mumbai flights
Another Air India plane also reached Delhi in the early hours of Thursday. Union Minister of State Kailash Chaudhary welcomed the passengers at the airport. Choudhary said that till now about 3000 Indians have been brought from Ukraine to India by a total of 16 flights. At the same time, Indigo’s special aircraft also reached Delhi carrying 200 Indians from Bucharest. Union Minister of State Rajiv Chandrashekhar welcomed the students who came in it.
At the same time, the students who arrived in Mumbai were welcomed by the Minister of State for Railways, Rao Saheb Patil Danve. He said that the Railways has set up a help desk. Students who want to go home by train will be given a reservation ticket at the airport itself.
Union Minister of State Rajiv Chandrashekhar welcomed the students arriving in Mumbai from Ukraine to Delhi and Raosaheb Patil Danve.
Attorney General told Supreme Court- Center sent four ministers
While hearing the petition to bring back the Indians trapped in Ukraine, the Supreme Court said – We feel bad for the students trapped in Ukraine. but what can we do? Can we tell Russian President Putin to stop the war? We will talk to the Attorney General about this.” On this, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court – Center has sent 4 ministers, so that the students can safely return. These ministers are airlifting students from countries bordering Ukraine.
Ukraine Updates
- Union Minister Kiren Rijiju talks to rescued students from Ukraine in Kosice, Slovakia before leaving for India.
- 149 students of Karnataka origin have returned to India from Operation Ganga. KSDMA commissioner Dr Manoj Rajan told- 34 students will reach Bengaluru this evening. Tomorrow 16 flights will reach Bengaluru.
- The Kerala government has arranged for three chartered planes to bring back Indian students who arrived at the Delhi airport from Ukraine on Thursday.
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that 9 aircraft have taken off from Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. 6 more aircraft are going to take off soon. These include the Globe Master of the Air Force.
- The Ministry of External Affairs has said that Indians whose passports have been lost will be given an emergency certificate, so that their identity can be confirmed and they can return home.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to PM Narendra Modi and reviewed the situation in Ukraine. Modi raised the issue of safe return of Indians from the war zone Kharkiv.
- Some of the Indian students trapped in Ukraine have been taken hostage by the Ukrainian army, so that they can be used as human shield. This claim has been made by the Russian Embassy in India.
- Indian Foreign Ministry has said – We have not received any information about any student being held hostage.
- Ukraine has said – Russia should stop the war in Kharkiv and Sumy, so that civilians, including foreign students, can be safely evacuated from there.
Congress supports abstaining from voting in UNSC
Present at the meeting of the Consultative Committee in the Ministry of External Affairs, External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Smriti Irani.
A meeting of the Consultative Committee on Foreign Affairs took place this morning on the Ukraine issue. In this, Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of China and Pakistan coming closer to Russia. He said – Right now the priority is to get the students out of Ukraine. Congress leaders supported the government’s stand to abstain from voting at the UNSC. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said- Strategic and humanitarian aspects were discussed well in the meeting of the Advisory Committee. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted and wrote – My thanks to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and his team for the clear responses to our questions and concerns. This is the spirit in which foreign policy should be conducted.
Union Minister Smriti Irani welcomed by speaking four languages
Earlier on Wednesday, Union Minister Smriti Irani welcomed Malayalam, Bengali, Gujarati and Marathi speaking students at the Delhi airport to the students who arrived in the planes. He said that you are welcome back home. Your families are waiting with bated breath. He said that all of you have shown your courage in Ukraine. Now you have come to your country in India, for this you should also thank the crew member of the flight.
Union Minister Smriti Irani welcoming students returned from Ukraine at Delhi airport.
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