NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the fifth high-level meeting on Friday to assess the status of the ongoing Operation Ganga evacuation of Indians from Ukraine.

S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister P.K. Mishra, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba,  and senior officials from the external affairs ministry attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Jaishankar and Shrigla updated Modi on the evacuation mission's progress, telling him that over 18,000 Indians have been returned since the Indian Embassy in Kyiv issued its initial advisories.

The Prime Minister was also told on the situation of Indians, who are largely trapped in the Odessa and Sumi districts near the Russian border, and was given options for safe departure. A shootout is currently taking place near the Russian border in Sumi.

Despite his electoral efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Modi has been hosting meetings practically every day since Sunday evening to plan the evacuation. Soon after the four Union Ministers went to Ukraine's neighbouring nations to oversee Operation Ganga, the evacuation operation was accelerated.

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