VISAKHAPATNAM: Hundreds of Telugu students who have been stranded in Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine near the Russian border are a worried lot as an Indian student was killed in shelling in Kharkiv on Tuesday.
The officials of the Union ministry of external affairs took to Twitter to announce the unfortunate death of Indian student, hailing from Karnataka.
Ever since Russia initiated war on February 24, the students living in Kharkiv are spending sleepless nights due to the ever-deteriorating situation.
Despite the earlier advisories issued by the Indian embassy in Ukraine asking the students to proceed towards western borders in trains, the students could not dare leaving their bunkers, underground metro stations and apartments due to the ongoing shelling, airstrikes and bombings in Kharkiv.
As it would take about 1,200-1,500 kilometres to reach the borders of Romania, Poland and Hungary from Kharkiv, the students feel that their lives and safety would be at stake once they leave the shelters. Running out of food and money, they are desperately waiting for a helping hand from the Indian authorities.
Speaking to ToI about the death of the Indian student, K Ajith, a 5th year MBBS student in Kharkiv, said they lost one medico. “We could not even guess what would be in store for the Indian students in Kharkiv in the coming days. We are in a very sad situation due to the death of our fellow student,” said Ajith.
N Durga Prasad, a student of Kharkiv National Medical University, said the situation looks highly critical in Kharkiv. “We request the authorities for early evacuation from this war-ravaged region. The students may die of starvation and freezing temperatures here,” he said.
