Operation Ganga: Three C-17 aircrafts with over 600 Indian evacuees from Ukraine reach Delhi

New Delhi: Three C-17 transport aircraft carrying over 600 passengers have landed at Hindan Air Force Station in Ghaziabad between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

The first C-17 aircraft landed around 1:30 am late last night carrying 200 passengers from from Romanian capital Bucharest. Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt received the evacuees at the IAF station.

He posted a tweet saying he was highly obliged to the Indian Air Force (IAF) crew and pilots for their round the clock service and support to the government's efforts in bringing the Indian citizens safely back home.

The second C-17 aircraft carrying 220 Indian passengers from Budapest, Hungary landed at the base around 5:40 am.

Another C-17 aircraft, the third one, carrying 208 Indian citizens from Rzeszow in Poland landed at Hindan around 7 am.

MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt received all the evacuees and interacted with them briefing about the government's resolve to continue the efforts till all Indians are brought back home from the war torn Ukraine.

IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal Sandeep Singh said on Wednesday that the IAF will run round the clock evacuation operation from Ukraine.

Giving out an update on status of Operation Ganga, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said late last night that 9 flights had taken off on Wednesday from Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Poland and six more flights are expected to depart shortly.

"Altogether, will bring back more than 3000 Indian nationals," he tweeted. (UNI)