The Indian Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster, a military transport aircraft, was dispatched to Romania at 4 A.M. Wednesday morning to carry home the Indian nationals who escaped Ukraine via land borders into neighbouring countries.
The flight is part of a series of undertakings by the Indian government under “Operation Ganga” to fly home Indian nationals leaving war-stricken Ukraine. The massive cargo aircraft left for Romania from the Hindan Air Force station near Delhi.
The Indian Air Force stepped into the operations at the orders of PM Modi on Tuesday. The aircraft will also be supplying massive humanitarian aid for fleeing Ukrainian citizens such as fuel, food, medical aid, blankets and other necessary items.
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“Operation Ganga” involves civilian airplanes, including Air India, SpiceJet and Indigo Airlines, being flown to Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary (all sharing land borders with Ukraine) to fly home Indian nationals, mostly medical students, who have crossed the Ukrainian borders. The expense is being borne by the Indian government.
Prime Minister Modi had on Monday held a high-level meeting in which it was decided that four ministers of his cabinet will travel to five eastern European countries to coordinate evacuation under “Operation Ganga”. Gen. VK Singh has been dispatched to Poland, Hardeep Singh Puri will go to Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia will travel to Romania and Moldova and Kiren Rijiju will travel to Slovakia.
“Six flights have now departed for India in the last 24 hours. Includes the first flights from Poland. Carried back 1377 more Indian nationals from Ukraine,” FM Jaishankar updated via twitter.
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On the request of Ukrainian ambassador to India Igor Polikha to Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla, India on Monday decided to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine such as medicine and other crucial items. The request had been put forward on Sunday.
India till now has refused to take any sides in the crisis till now which has been apparent from its repeated abstention on crucial resolutions at the UN Security council.
