New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that despite the challenges faced during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, about 22,500 citizens, mainly students, have returned home safely from war-torn Ukraine. Rescuing the Indian nationals from Sumy, a major city in Ukraine, was a challenging one as the city was a continuous target of Russia.

In the Rajya Sabha, he informed the Parliament about Operation Ganga. According to Jaishankar, the evacuation of Indians from Ukraine, the Sumy was very complicated since Indian students faced the risk of being caught in the crossfire.

He said the evacuation of the stranded Indians from Sumy needed a credible ceasefire. It was realised after the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself with both presidents of Ukraine and Russia.

S. Jaishankar hailed PM Modi’s effort in bringing back Indians from Ukraine. He said that it was the Prime Minister's direction to start the rescue operation, named Operation Ganga. It was one of the most difficult drives to bring back the stranded people from an active war zone. Since Indians were dispersed all over Ukraine, one of the biggest problems was arranging logistics for them. The Minister said that more than half of the students were studying in eastern Ukraine universities, which were located near Russia and considered hotbeds of the war.

He stated, "With tensions rising, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine launched a registration campaign for Indians in January 2022. As a result, some 20,000 Indians signed up. The majority of Indian nationals were students doing medical degrees at Ukrainian institutions spread around the country. " According to the Union Minister, more than half of the students were enrolled at colleges in eastern Ukraine, which borders Russia and has been the epicentre of fighting thus far.

The Minister said that the ministry had issued an advisory on February 15, 2022, advising Indians in Ukraine whose stay is not essential to leave the country temporarily. It further recommended Indians not travel to Ukraine or make quasi movements within the country, he said.

Jaishankar said over 1,000 students from UP, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Haryana from other states were studying in Ukraine, he said.