To help and assist stranded Indians leave Ukraine, the Indian government carried out a most delicate and challenging evacuation under ‘Operation Ganga’. Notably, amid the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, Indian authorities not only rescued Indian citizens in the war-torn country, but also extended help to the foreign nationals stranded there.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba expressed gratitude to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi afor evacuating four Nepalese nationals stranded in Ukraine amidst the military offensive by Russia. Nepali nationals who had been evacuated from Ukraine by the Indian authorities, had also expressed their gratitude towards the Indian government for its support.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked PM Modi for evacuating 13 Bangladeshi nationals, who had been stuck in northeastern city Sumy along with 694 Indians, who were brought to Poltava city in Ukraine under “Operation Ganga”.
Asma Shafique from Pakistan also thanked the Indian embassy of Kyiv and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after her safe evacuation along with Indians and a few more from other countries. Two Tunisians were also among those evacuated by the Indian authorities under the operation.
The human corridor in Sumy was announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to both Presidents of Russia and Ukraine to provide a safe passage to evacuate the remaining Indian students who were stuck in Sumy. The PM had instructed that anyone from south Asia stuck in the war zone should also be evacuated.
As the operation concluded, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar hailed ‘Operation Ganga’ and congratulated all those involved in the efforts as India managed to evacuate the majority of its residents from the war-torn Ukraine. He also thanked Ukraine’s neighbours, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Moldova, for their exceptional support to India in evacuating its citizens from the eastern European nation.
“We are grateful to NGOs, individual volunteers, corporates, our airlines, and the Indian Air Force who work so tirelessly in this exercise,” the EAM added.
Nearly 8,000 Indians have evacuated through Romania and 17 Special Flights evacuated nearly 3,800 Indians out of Ukraine via Poland. While 6,177 students were evacuated from Hungary. Under Operation Ganga almost 20,000 Indians have been brought back in several special flights from the Ukraine borders. The Indian Air Force had flown 12 missions to bring back 2,467 passengers, as part of Operation Ganga, and carried over 32 tonne relief material.
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