PM Modi holds 8th meeting on Ukraine crisis, reviews evacuation progress

As India is continuing evacuation of its nationals caught in the crossfire between Russia and Ukraine, reports of an Indian student hospitalised in Kyiv after being shot at emerged on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a high-level meeting on the Russia-Ukraine crisis and reviewed the progress of Operation Ganga. The meeting comes amid reports of an Indian student being shot at in Kyiv and hospitalised. Union minister General VK Singh on Friday said he had received reports that a student who has been shot at has been hospitalised.

This is the 8th high-level meeting PM Modi held with officials since an all-out war between Russia and Ukraine broke out on February 24.

Since an all-out war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, PM Modi has been holding a series of high-level meetings. PM Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well.

Under the leadership of PM Modi, Operation Ganga has been launched with four Union ministers deputed to four neighbouring countries of Ukraine to oversee every aspect of the evacuation.

Three more Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft returned to Hindan airbase late last night and early on Friday morning carrying 630 Indian nationals from Ukraine, using airfields in Romania and Hungary under Operation Ganga.

According to the external affairs ministry, over 9,000 citizens have been brought back to India from Ukraine so far.

As the evacuation process is going on, India is maintaining a cautious stance on the global platform, abstaining from UNGA resolutions against Russia, though India has appealed for an immediate ceasefire. Joining the virtual meetings of Quad leaders on Thursday, PM Modi agreed to US, Australia and Japan leadership that a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism should be established.