Operation Ganga: Air Force brings back 629 evacuated Indian nationals from Romania, Slovakia, Poland on Saturday

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force on Saturday brought back 629 evacuated Indian nationals from Ukraine's neighbouring countries Romania, Slovakia and Poland as part of the ongoing 'Operation Ganga'.

"Three C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft of the IAF, which had taken off from Hindan Airbase on Friday, landed back to the base on Saturday morning with the evacuated Indians," said the official release.

"They had carried 16.5 tonnes of relief material on the outbound journey," IAF Tweeted.

So far, the IAF has flown 10 flights to bring back 2,056 passengers while taking 26 tonnes of relief load to these three countries.

Earlier in the day, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan informed that over 11,000 Indians have been evacuated from Ukraine so far.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a meeting to discuss the ongoing evacuation drive of Indian nationals and the situation in conflict-hit Ukraine.

The government has also deployed 'special envoys' to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals.

Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities.