Ukraine crisis: Huge evacuation requires high level of intervention, says Kiren Rijiju

Rijiju, who is currently in Slovakia as a part of Operation Ganga, interacted with Indian students there and assured them that the government is ensuring their safe return to India.

Rijiju, while interacting with the students who were evacuated from Ukraine to Kosice in Slovakia, said that there is a large number of Indian nationals to be looked after.

"This is not a normal time. To evacuate such large numbers of students as soon as possible requires a high level of intervention. The Prime Minister desired that the senior ministers should themselves lead the delegation. We will ensure that you reach Delhi as soon as possible," the minister said.

Elaborating on the procedure, he said that the students will be sent to Delhi in batches and the first batch will depart today in the evening.

Earlier in the day, the Union Minister had said that he will not leave the place till the last fellow citizen is safely evacuated from the crisis-torn country.

Rijiju is one of the four 'special envoys' deployed by the Government of India to oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals in Ukraine's neighbouring countries under Operation Ganga. He reached the Slovakian city of Kosice on Wednesday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said nine flights took off on Thursday from Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Poland.

A total of 17,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since the advisories were issued and flights under Operation Ganga have been increased to facilitate the evacuation of remaining students stranded in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister has been chairing crucial meetings on the issue in the last few days.

Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. (ANI)