PM Narendra Modi on Monday, 28 February, chaired a high-level meeting on the crisis in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, wherein he reviewed the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote on Twitter that PM Modi said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indians there are safe and secure.
In his meeting on Monday evening, PM Modi also noted that the first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation on Ukraine’s borders will be despatched on Tuesday.
PM Modi also stated that India will help people from neighbouring and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine and may require assistance.
Visit of 4 Ministers to 'Energise Evacuation Efforts'
PM Modi also pointed that the visit of four senior ministers as his Special Envoys to various nations will "energise the evacuation efforts".
"It is reflective of the priority the Government attaches to this matter," Bagchi stated.
At the previous high-level meeting chaired by PM Modi on Monday morning, it was decided that Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and General (Retired) VK Singh will be travelling to Ukraine's neighbouring countries as 'special envoys' in order to oversee evacuation of Indians from the war-ridden nation.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia will be overseeing evacuation operations of Indians in Romania and Moldova, while Minister of Law Kiren Rijiju will be visiting Slovakia, reported news agency ANI.
Meanwhile, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will be overlooking operations in Hungary, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport Gen (Retd) VK Singh will manage evacuations in Poland.
PM Modi's High-Level Meet on Sunday
On Sunday evening, PM Modi had held a high-level meeting in New Delhi and informed officials that evacuating Indian nationals from war-struck Ukraine and ensuring their safe passage home is the country’s top priority, reported NDTV.
During the discussion with the Cabinet Committee of Security, Modi said India is cooperating with neighbouring countries to expedite evacuation, said sources quoted by NDTV.
Around 16,000 Indian nationals, including students, have been trapped in several regions of Ukraine since Putin invaded the country on Thursday, 24 February.
Over the last days, hundreds of students have been evacuated on Air India flights from the neighbouring countries of Ukraine such as Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Romania.
(With inputs from ANI and NDTV.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)