Operation Ganga: 6,400 Indians evacuated on 15 flights in 24 hours

The Kremlin had claimed that some Indian students were taken hostage by the Ukrainian security forces and were using them as human shields

Nearly 17,000 Indians have been evacuated from Ukraine to safe places in neighbouring countries since the Government of India began issuing advisories and will be brought back in tranches as Indian Air Force planes, as well as commercial airlines, have been pressed into service with more than seven flights a day between Ukraine’s neighbours and India.

The Civil Aviation Ministry said India has till now brought back 6,998 people on special flights — including the ones operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) — since February 22.

Most students are now out of the conflict–torn Kharkiv and in a nearby city, Pisochyn,