IAF’s fleet of heavy-lift transport ready to evacuate Indian nationals from Ukraine

“The Indian Air Force is prepared to meet any requirements for the evacuation of our citizens from Ukraine,” says IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ashish Moghe.

In the midst of Russian military operations in Ukraine, the Indian Air Force (IAF) announced on Friday that it is prepared to evacuate Indian nationals who have become stranded in the country.
“The Indian Air Force is prepared to meet any requirements for the evacuation of our citizens from Ukraine,” IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ashish Moghe told ANI when discussing the possibility of its planes returning Indian nationals.

The Indian Air Force has C-17 Globemasters and Ilyushin-76 transport planes that can fly long distances and evict Indian nationals from Ukraine. Both fleets’ aircraft are ready and waiting to be dispatched to assist Indian citizens, including students studying at various educational institutions.

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The Indian Air Force recently played a critical role in bringing back Indian citizens and officials who had become stranded in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
Ukraine has closed its airspace following Russia’s military operation against it. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has dispatched teams to Ukraine’s land borders in Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Romania to assist with the evacuation of Indian nationals.

The central government, according to sources, will organise evacuation flights for Indian nationals in Ukraine. They stated that the government will bear the entire cost of the evacuation.

“Two flights to Bucharest today and one to Budapest tomorrow are scheduled to be operated as GOI chartered flights,” a source said.
A number of explosions were heard in Ukraine’s capital city on Friday as the Russian special military operation entered its second day, according to local media.

In his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed India’s concern about the safety of Indian citizens in Ukraine, particularly students, and stated that India places the highest priority on their safe exit and return to India.