Operation Ganga: IAF flight with 210 Indian nationals reaches Hindon airbase from Romania
Mar 04, 2022
Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 5 : Indian Air Force's (IAF) C-17 aircraft carrying 210 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached the Hindon airbase on Friday.
The IAF flight departed from the Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday under Operation Ganga.
A total of 5,245 Indian nationals were airlifted from Romania to the country till March 3 amid Russia's military operations in Ukraine, informed the Government of India on Friday.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a meeting to discuss the ongoing evacuation drive of Indian nationals and the situation in conflict-hit Ukraine.
The government has also deployed 'special envoys' to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri is overseeing evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Romania and Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation Gen VK Singh in Poland.
The Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday that 16 flights were scheduled for the next 24 hours including Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft under Operation Ganga.
Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities.
