Operation Ganga

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 also transported to Romania, Hungary, Poland, Moldova, and Slovakia and from there to India with assistance from these countries. India maintained a neutral stance during the invasion. Indian Prime MinisterNarendra 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 2:55am 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.