Operation Ganga: Going flat out to evacuate Indian citizens from Ukraine, says Foreign Secretary

As India goes flat out to evacuate its citizens from war-hit Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, on Sunday, called in envoys of Russia and Ukraine separately and conveyed to them India’s deep concerns of the safety and security of its citizens, particularly that of students in Ukraine. Briefing reporters on the elements of the multi-pronged evacuation plan — Operation Ganga — to evacuate Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine, Shringla said that he had shared with the envoys the locations where Indian students and citizens are concentrated for ensuring their protection. “Both Ambassadors took note of our concerns and assured us they are very cognizant of the safety and security of Indian citizens in what is a really a conflict zone Ukraine,” said Shringla. He said that his interactions with the two envoys were reassuring, and got every sense that India will get their fullest support in the interest and well being of Indian citizens in Ukraine.  The Foreign Secretary also said India has contacted the international committee of the Red Cross in Geneva and has informed them that as they start their operations in Ukraine, they should be cognizant of the needs of Indian citizens, wherever possible, to escort them out. “We are going to share with them the locations of where our communities are,” he added.  Operation Ganga is being done at government’s cost given the situation prevailing at Ukraine. Already four flights were concluded and brought home over 1,000 citizens. Shringla said two more flights were being planned for tonight and tomorrow and range of flights have been scheduled for the next few days. “Our plan is to ensure that as we have our citizens in any of the points of evacuation, there is a flight ready even before they get there. The idea is to minimise the time they spend there at the airport. A number of aircraft are ready to go there at short notice and bring them back to Delhi,” he said.  Shringla highlighted that 4,000 of Indian nationals had already left prior to the conflict pursuant to the advisories given by MEA and Indian embassy in Kiev.  Given that airport in Kiev is shut, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has gone in for Land evacuation options through Hungary, Poland Romania and Slovakia. “Border crossing points were identified in these four countries and MEA teams (Russian-speaking officers) were deployed to assist in the evacuation process. A 24x7 control room is already established in our embassy in Kiev and MEA in Delhi. We have also established hotlines in all the four countries,” he said.  Shringla also said that besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s telephonic interaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the External affairs Minister Jaishankar is in touch with very wide range of interlocutors involved in the situation. “We are doing everything possible to ensure that the safety, security of Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine are given highest priority,” he added.  Shringla said that so far 1,000 Indians have been flown out of Hungary and Romania, and 1,000 are being evacuated through land routes as part of Operation Ganga.  “Border crossing to Romania and Hungary are functioning. Exit point to Poland is clogged due to lakhs of Ukranian and foreign nationals are planning to move out,” he said.  To a question on whether one can expect India to condemn Russia for Ukraine invasion, Shringla said that India has at the UNSC conveyed “deep regret” at the evolving situation, and has also definitely pointed out that loss of human lives is not acceptable. “But at the same time we have said that diplomacy and dialogue are the only options. Clearly from that perspective our position has been consistent on dealing with the current situation at hand,” he said. To a question on whether the Indian embassy in Kiev is being shifted, Shringla said: “For us our citizens comes first. We are all diplomats. The fact is that every citizen is important for us. Our embassy will ensure that all our Indian citizen are evacuated and they are working assiduously. Staying there is not an option because of the increased fighting there”. He said that MEA is increasingly moving to effective means of communication with Indian citizens in Ukraine.  “We will make the best of this difficult situation. A few thousand of our citizens are already out. We will make sure the rest of them also come back very safely in line with implementation of Operation Ganga,” he said.