New Delhi: Prime Minister Modi has called on the Indian Air Force to join rescue efforts in Ukraine.
Government sources said, “Leveraging the capacity of our Air Force will ensure that more people can be evacuated quickly. It will also help deliver humanitarian aid efficiently.”
The Indian Air Force is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft as part of ‘Operation Ganga’ – India’s multi-pronged rescue mission — from Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in a new advisory on Tuesday, the Indian High Commission in Ukraine has asked citizens to leave Kyiv urgently.
The advisory read: “All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably through available train or through any other means available.”
India ‘Operation Ganga’ is on full steam to take out stranded citizens from the war-torn country. The Prime Minister rushed four Union ministers Monday to Ukraine’s border countries to better coordinate rescue efforts.
Ministers Hardeep Puri, Kiren Rijiju, Jyotiraditya Scindia and VK Singh have gone as ‘special envoys’. Reports said Jyotiraditya Scindia has been assigned Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri will head to Hungary, while VK Singh will be in charge of the evacuation from Poland.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday also met President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him on various issues, including the Ukraine crisis, PTI quoted official sources.
Sources said Modi kept Kovind up to date on the crisis and his government’s efforts to bring back Indians stranded in that country.
Also read: India missing Sushma Swaraj as Modi takes charge of Ukraine-stranded students’ evacuation