About 3,000 Indians airlifted from Ukraine's neighbouring countries under Operation Ganga on Saturday

New Delhi, March 5: About 3,000 Indians have been airlifted on Saturday by 15 special flights from Ukraine's neighbouring countries under 'Operation Ganga' to rescue Indian citizens, according to the press release issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

These included 12 special civilian and 3 IAF flights. With this, more than 13 thousand 7 hundred Indians have been brought back since the special flights began on 22nd February. The number of Indians brought back by 55 special civilian flights goes up to 11,728. Till date, the IAF has flown 10 sorties to bring back 2056 passengers, while taking 26 tonnes of relief load to these countries, as part of Op Ganga.

Three C-17 heavy lift transport aircraft of the IAF, which had taken off yesterday from the Hindan air base, landed back at Hindan today morning. These flights evacuated 629 Indian nationals from Romania, Slovakia and Poland. These flights also carried 16.5 tonnes of relief load from India to these countries.

All Civilian flights, except one, had landed on Saturday morning, while flight from Kosice to New Delhi arrive late in the evening. Today's civilian flights included 5 from Budapest, 4 from Suceva, 1 from Kosice and 2 from Rzeszow.

On Sunday, 11 special flights are expected to operate from Budapest, Kosice, Rzeszow and Bucharest, bringing in more than 2200 Indians back home.