New Delhi: A total of 17,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since the advisories were issued and flights under Operation Ganga have been increased to facilitate the evacuation of remaining students stranded in Ukraine.
The students who left Ukraine also included some Indians who had not registered with the Embassy of India in Kyiv previously.
Flights under Operation Ganga have been increased. During the last 24 hours, six flights under Operation Ganga have landed in India, taking the total number of flights to 15. Out of these, 8 flights were from Bucharest, 5 from Budapest and 2 from Rzeszow.
The total number of Indians who have returned onboard these flights is 3,352. Out of these, 1796 were evacuated through Romania, 430 through Poland and 1126 through Hungary. As many as 15 flights are scheduled over the next 24 hours, many of which are already en route.
IAF has joined Operation Ganga, and the first C-17 flight from Bucharest is expected to return to Delhi from Bucharest later tonight. Three more IAF flights will be undertaken today, from Budapest, Rzeszow and Bucharest.
Humanitarian aid in form of medicines, medical equipment, tents, blankets, solar lamps and other materials is being sent to Ukraine in tranches. The first tranche weighing 2 tons comprising medicines was sent on March 1 through Poland and 3 more tranches (tents, blankets, sleeping mats etc – 16 x 2 tons) were sent on March 2 (1 by IAF flight) through Romania and Poland.
The MEA Control Room, as well as the Control Centres operated by Indian Embassies in Ukraine, Poland, Romania Hungary and the Slovak Republic, continue to operate on a 24×7 basis. The MEA Control Room has attended to 9,874 calls and 7,657 emails to date.
The embassy of India in Romania in coordination with Moldovan authorities is organizing the movement of Indian nationals stranded in Odessa (Ukraine) to Bucharest (Romania) via Moldova. Airspace in Moldova is closed so Indians are being sent to Bucharest
The embassy is organising two routes for buses — one set of buses for those crossing the Palanca border(Ukraine-Moldova) and being sent directly to Romania without stopping in Moldova. Another route is for those who are in the camps located in and around the capital Chisinau.
The bus services are being provided free of cost. Since March 1, about 250 students have crossed over to Romania. They have all been sent by buses organised by Embassy directly to Romania (Bucharest) from the border.
About 80-100 nationals are still left in and around Chisinau (capital) and most will be leaving by bus today (on March 2). In Bucharest, Indian Embassy is helping the Indian nationals with flights under Operation Ganga.
The embassy in coordination with Romanian authorities has ensured that no visa is required to exit Romania via special flights.
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