The IAF C-17 aircraft can carry 336 passengers and was used in the evacuation in Afghanistan. But in one mission, an American plane carried 670 passengers, which is a world record.
NEW DELHI, 01 MARCH: According to Official sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts as part of Operation Ganga. Leveraging IAF’s capabilities will ensure that more people can be evacuated in the shortest possible time.
It will also help distribute humanitarian aid more efficiently. The Indian Air Force is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft from today as part of Operation Ganga.
It is known that this decision was taken during the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last evening. During the meeting, the PM said that the government is working round the clock to ensure the safety of Indians in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine has issued a new advisory to Indian citizens, asking them to leave Kyiv immediately, preferably by trains or any other means available.
India is carrying out the evacuation process on a war footing under Operation Ganga. The government has sent four central ministers to coordinate and expedite the evacuation process from the borders around Ukraine. Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and General VK Singh are monitoring the entire operation.
Currently, India is leading the evacuation operation in war-torn Ukraine. Other countries such as China, the US and the UK have either called off their evacuation missions or expressed their inability to secure their citizens.
In addition, the government is also sending humanitarian aid and medicine supplies to Kyiv at the request of Ukraine.