Russia-Ukraine conflict: Those present at the meeting included Union Ministers S Jaishankar and Piyush Goyal, besides Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
NEW DELHI, 05 MARCH: Minister Narendra Modi held another high-level meeting on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion, which entered its second week on Saturday and the evacuation of Indians from the war-torn Eastern European nation.
Those present in the meeting included Piyush Goyal and Union Ministers S Jaishankar, besides Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The prime minister has been chairing frequent meetings with senior officials and union ministers over the past few days amid an intensified military operation by Russian forces in Ukraine. The government has launched a massive evacuation mission called ‘Operation Ganga’ to bring back its citizens from the conflict zone.
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that around 13,300 Indians have returned to the country from Ukraine so far. As the conflict-torn country’s airspace is closed to passenger flights, stranded Indians are being asked to reach neighboring countries, from where India is operating several rescue flights daily.
Addressing a press conference, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that 15 flights have landed in the last 24 hours with around 2,900. “more flights are also scheduled for the next 24 hours,” Bagchi said.
The ministry also issued an appeal urging the students to take safety precautions and stay inside the shelters. The MEA said the government was pushing the Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor.