Operation Ganga: Amid Russian invasion, India brings back second batch of 250 citizens from Ukraine; 240 more on way

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia welcomed the second batch of 250 Indian nationals with flowers at the Delhi airport.

New Delhi: As part of the 'Operation Ganga', India on Sunday (February 27, 2022) brought back the second batch of 250 Indian nationals from Romania after facilitating their exit from Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia welcomed them with flowers when the Air India (AI)-192 special flight from the Romanian capital Bucharest landed at the Delhi airport in the wee hours of Sunday.

#FlyAI: HMCA @JM_Scindia receiving the Indian nationals who were flown back to Delhi from Bucharest by AI 1942 on 27th Feb, '22 early morning, operated to evacuate Indians stranded at war-ravaged Ukraine. Thank you for guiding us on this mission @MoCA_GoI pic.twitter.com/y1DuYcjJTW — Air India (@airindiain) February 26, 2022

Scindia informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to evacuate more citizens.

"Every single citizen is back home in India. Please send this message to all your friends and colleagues that we are with them and will guarantee them their safe return. PM Modi is in touch with the Ukrainian and Russian President, conservations are on to ensure that everyone is brought home safely," he told students.

PM Sh @narendramodi Ji, along with all the government agencies are working round the clock to ensure every Indian is brought back home quick & safe. #OperationGanga https://t.co/O6HUS4Kbxi pic.twitter.com/k9QVvZVrGh — Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) February 26, 2022

With this, a total of 469 Indian nationals have been so far evacuated from war-hit Ukraine, of which, 219 had landed in Mumbai on Saturday evening.

Welcome back.

First step of #OperationGanga. https://t.co/4DgLIc7GYM — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 26, 2022

Meanwhile, the third flight to the national capital with 240 Indian nationals has also taken off from Hungary's Budapest.

Third flight of #OperationGanga with 240 Indian nationals has taken off from Budapest for Delhi.

Köszönöm szépen FM Peter Szijjártó. pic.twitter.com/22EHK3RK3V — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 26, 2022

It is noteworthy that amid the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, India has set up a control room at the Ministry of External Affairs to provide information and assistance to its citizens in Ukraine.

Please spread the word.

A Control Room has been set up at the Ministry of External Affairs to provide information and assistance to our people in Ukraine. Contact:

1800118797 (Toll free)

Phones:
+91 11 23012113
+91 11 23014104
+91 11 23017905

Email:
situationroom@mea.gov.in pic.twitter.com/hP5PyeQKgp — Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) February 24, 2022

Earlier on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, advised Indian citizens against moving to any of the border checkpoints without prior coordination with government officials at border posts.

In an advisory to Indian nationals, the embassy stressed that the situation at various border checkpoints is 'sensitive' and that it is working continuously with embassies in the neighbouring countries for coordinated evacuation of Indian citizens.

(With agency inputs)