Ukraine, Feb 2: Ramping up the Central Government’s efforts to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine, an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 transport aircraft left for Romania in the early hours on Wednesday. Two Indian Air Force aircraft took off for Romania and Hungary from the Hindon airbase to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine.
The Indian Air Force aircraft are carrying tents, blankets, and other humanitarian aid.
Notably, one C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the IAF left for Romania on Wednesday morning carrying humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The C-17 Globemaster took off at 4 am earlier today for Romania under ‘Operation Ganga’.
India on Tuesday sent the first tranche of humanitarian assistance comprising medicines and other relief materials to Ukraine via Poland.
Also Read: Ukraine-Russia War: 12,000 Indian nationals left Ukraine, Indian Student Killed
India had decided to send the relief supplies to Ukraine to help it deal with the humanitarian situation along with its border areas with tens of thousands of people attempting to flee the Russian invasion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts under Operation Ganga on Tuesday.
PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the efforts to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine and asked the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts under ‘Operation Ganga‘.
After Russia’s forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, the Government of India launched ‘Operation Ganga‘ to bring back stranded Indian nationals from the conflict-torn Ukraine. As part of the ‘Operation Ganga‘ mission, special flights are being operated to facilitate returns of the stranded Indians free of cost. The first such evacuation flight carrying 219 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine landed in Mumbai on February 26. Several such flights have landed in the country so far.
Also Read: Operation Ganga: PM Modi call Indian Air Force to join the evacuation
The 24×7 control centres have been set up to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals through the border crossing points with Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. A new route has been opened through Moldova and an MEA team is also now in place there and is operational. The team will assist in the evacuation of Indians through Romania.
