As Russia intensified its attack, India on Friday managed to bring back 3,772 people by 18 evacuation flights from bordering countries of Ukraine under “Operation Ganga” but 2,000-3,000 more Indians are stuck in the war-ravaged nation.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 11 evacuation flights are expected to bring back more than 2200 Indians on Saturday, with 10 landing in New Delhi and one in Mumbai. So far, over 10,300 Indians have been brought back in 48 flights under 'Operation Ganga' and nearly 20,000 Indians left Ukraine's borders since our advisories were issued in mid-February.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that around 300 Indians are stuck in Kharkiv and 700 are in Sumy. As per details shared by the ministry, five flights will originate from Budapest, two from Rzeszow and four from Suceava. Besides, four C-17 aircraft are airborne for Romania, Poland and Slovakia, which are expected to reach late at night and early Saturday morning. The statement did not say how many Indians will be coming on the four IAF flights. On Friday, 14 civilian and three IAF flights brought 3,772 Indians back. Four flights came from Bucharest, two from Kosice, four from Budapest, three from Rzeszow and two from Suceava, while IAF flew two flights from Bucharest and one from Budapest.
The Indian Air Force has operated three flights from using the airfields in Romania and Hungary to the Hindon airbase between Thursday night and Friday morning carrying 630 Indians. Till date, the IAF has evacuated a total of 1,428 Indians on seven flights, all of which have been operated through its C-17 aircraft and taken 9.7 tonnes of relief material. The IAF joined the government's Operation Ganga on Thursday morning when it brought 798 Indians on four evacuation flights from the Romanian capital Bucharest, Hungary's Budapest and Polish city Rzeszow to Hindon airbase. Meanwhile, two Russian IL-76 strategic lift planes are on standby to fly out to Moscow as soon as Indian nationals evacuated from northeastern cities of Kharkiv and Sumi are taken to the Russian capital.
IndiGo said it will operate 12 evacuation flights with over 2,600 Indians from war-torn Ukraine's neighbouring countries between Friday and Sunday. In a statement, IndiGo said 42 evacuation flights with 9,200 Indians had been scheduled to operate between February 28 and March 6. "We have already operated 30 flights bringing back more than 6,600 of our citizens till today (Friday)," the airline's Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said on Friday. At least 12 flights with over 2,600 Indians will be operated by India's largest airline between March 4 and March 6.
Meanwhile, Air India Express’s second flight carrying 184 passengers from Budapest landed in Mumbai on Friday morning.
Go First on Friday said it has operated first evacuation flight to New Delhi from Budapest in Hungary to bring back 177 Indian evacuees from war-hit Ukraine. The airline also said it will operate two flights every till March 10 as part of the Operation Ganga mission.
Over 80 flights and 24 ministers have been pressed into action to evacuate Indians from Ukraine as part of Operation Ganga.