Operation Ganga
| Operation Ganga | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | |
| Operational scope | Humanitarian relief |
| Planned by | Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Armed Forces |
| Objective | Evacuation of Indian nationals |
| Date | 26 February 2022 – 11 March 2022
Beyond 11 March 2022 for nationals left if assistance sought |
| Executed by | Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Air Force and Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express, Go First, AirAsia India, with the support and coordination of the government and embassies of neighbouring countries. |
| Outcome | About 25,000 Indian nationals were evacuated 147 citizens of 18 other countries were evacuated |
| Casualties | one student killed one student injured |
Operation Ganga was an evacuation mission carried out by the Indian government to rescue its citizens stranded in neighboring countries of Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The citizens were transported from Romania, Hungary, Poland, Moldova, and Slovakia to India with assistance from these countries. India maintained a neutral stance during the invasion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 26 February 2022 during which, among other issues, the safety of students was brought up. The first evacuation flight from Bucharest reached New Delhi with 249 nationals at around 2:55 am Indian Standard Time (IST) on 27 February. Four union ministers—namely, Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and V.K. Singh—were sent the next day to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to assist in prioritizing coordination with local authorities. The Indian Air Force and multiple Indian private airlines provided logistical support.
India had about 20,000 Indian nationals in Ukraine, out of which just over 18,000 were students. Approximately 16,000 Indian citizens were present in Ukraine at the moment of commencement of Russian invasion. By 5 March, about 18,000 had crossed the border of Ukraine. However emergency evacuation was requested by students still in Ukraine, such as in Sumy. Following a "Leave Kharkiv Immediately" embassy advisory on 2 March, the Indian Ministry of Defence released a survival advisory for those still in Ukraine and specifically Kharkiv. By 6 March about 16,000 Indians had been flown to India in 76 flights. On 8 March the MEA said that all students in Sumy have been moved facilitated by humanitarian corridors.