In 2014-15, India retrieved 1500 students studying in Donetsk and Kharkiv universities in Ukraine’s Donbas region. A majority of the students were repatriated, while some were assigned to other Ukrainian universities in its west. Indian diplomats and government officials had worked together to organise trains and transports to ferry them to safety.

The apparitions of 2015 appear to be re-visiting Indian students again in the current situation. However, there are indications that the Indian Embassy at Kyiv had acted well in time, perhaps guided by the past experience and the intricacies of the scenario that started to unfold from November 2021. On 15 February, the Indian Embassy had issued an advisory to the students to leave Ukraine temporarily. It appears that many of the students were reluctant to leave citing their licensing exams and such other perceived requirements. A week later, the ground realities had changed quite unlike 2015. Russia had pressed in troops on Ukrainian soil and hostilities had commenced.

Indian government launched Operation Ganga under which its embassies in Kyiv, Bucharest, Budapest and Warsaw worked in coordination to retrieve the students and nationals, nearly 20000 of them, through adjoining countries since Ukrainian air space has been closed from 24 February. Prior to this closure, an Air India aircraft landed in Kyiv on 22 February and evacuated 240 students. The Indian Embassy also advised students in Donbas region to evacuate first since the western parts of Ukraine are relatively safer and reaching Bulgarian, Hungarian and Polish borders from the east could be comparatively safer. From 26 February, Air India flights from Bucharest and Budapest have been bringing in a steady flow of students and nationals home. Apart from Air India, Indigo has also been pressed into service and on 01 March, the C17 Globe Masters of the Indian Air Force have also called in to service.

The Indian Air Force’s C17 has the capacity to lift 72 tons over distances in excess of 4000 kilometres without refuelling. Normal troop seating is accomplished with 54 fixed sidewall seats and / or 48 center-line cargo floor seats. For special configurations a maximum seating combination using sidewall seats and 9 seat pallets can support up to 188 passengers. With this combination of civil and military aircraft, the pace of evacuation is expected to hasten, even as diplomats work with their counterparts and border control officials to ensure safe passage.

The scale of operations under Operation Ganga with the External Affairs Minister and the Defence Minister now directly monitoring these reflects the resolve of the government to address a critical situation. Though the media is reporting instances of harassment and even loss of life of a student at Ukraine, it is necessary to bear in mind that the vagaries of war zones are unpredictable. Even as an attempt is made to negotiate a scenario currently evolving, innumerable challenges lay hidden in translating options into practice. However, the diplomatic corps in any nation exists only to visualize and act upon such scenarios given that it is important to promoting and protecting a strong national image. Towards this purpose, even re-assigning Indian Naval ships currently on anti-piracy operations off Ethiopian-Somalia coasts for evacuating more numbers of students could supplement Operation Ganga.

Even though the ghosts of 2015 appear to be re-visiting Indian students in Ukraine, the responses of the Indian government so far show that they will be exercised with considerable resolve. It will also serve Ukrainian authorities well to remember that Indian students contribute substantially to Ukrainian economy. At a rough $ 5000 USD per student per year, not counting the Green Backs they spend for their living expenses, the forex accrual in excess of US$ 75,000,000 is quite critical for their economy. Providing safe passage and if need be, protecting the Indian students therefore through cooperation with Indian authorities will ensure that Indian students return to Ukraine in future, irrespective of the outcome of geopolitical contests.

Dr R Srinivasan is an independent researcher.