PM Narendra Modi chairs high-level meet, reviews security preparedness

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting to review India's security preparedness and the prevailing global scenario in the context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P.K. Mishra attended the high-level meeting.

Prime Minister Modi has chaired several high-level meetings with senior ministers of the cabinet and officials since Russia launched military action against Ukraine on February 24 and India began a massive evacuation mission named 'Operation Ganga' to airlift stranded Indian nationals, including students.

So far, the government has brought back over 20,000 Indians from the war-torn country, through the neighbouring countries of Ukraine.

On March 11, over 600 Indian students, stuck in northeastern city Sumy, were airlifted to New Delhi using a humanitarian corridor provided by the Ukrainian authority.

These Indian students arrived here on Friday by three flights, including one Indian Air Force's C-17 globe master under Operation Ganga.

Sumy located in the northeast part of Ukraine and close to the Russian border came under heavy shelling and bombing by the Russian Army which began its military operation against Ukraine on February 24.

Nearly 700 Indian students were stuck there as it was impossible to get them evacuated under the heavy bombing.

The governments of Russia and Ukraine announced a ceasefire and provided a humanitarian corridor on March 8 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 7 requesting them to provide safe passage to evacuate the remaining Indian nationals stuck in war-torn Ukraine. (IANS)

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