Risking lives, students leave war-ravaged eastern Ukraine for border

Karnataka students Arakere Nandini, Likhita, Pratibha, Isha and Navya travel by train from Kharkiv, Ukraine. Credit: Special Arrangement

Braving all odds, students from the state and other parts of the country were marching in teams, holding the Indian national flag, towards the nearest railway station in the war-ravaged Kharkiv of Ukraine, according to Venkatesh Vaishyar, the father of Amit Vaishyar who is stuck in the war-torn country.

“About 1,000 people, including 700 Indians, are marching towards the railway station holding the Indian flag. They are going to the railway station, which is seven kilometres from their bunker, by walk as no vehicles are available,” Venkatesh Vaishyar told PTI.

Also read: India abstains on UNGA resolution that deplores Russia's aggression against Ukraine

Venkatesh’s son Amit (23) is a fifth-year medical student at Kharkiv Medical College. He is among three students from Chalageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district studying MBBS in Kharkiv Medical College. Amit’s cousin Suman (24), son of Sridhar Murthy Vaishyar, is also a student there and both of them are trying to return from the strife-torn country. On Tuesday, their junior 22-year-old Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar was killed in shelling when he moved out of the bunker to fetch some food, water and exchange currency.

“Students have no option but to take the risk as they don’t have food and water. They are relying on God now and walking towards the railway station,” Venkatesh said. With tears in his eyes, he said Amit is his only son and if something happens to him he will not be able to live.

Also read: Moscow alleges Ukrainian Army took some Indians hostage, stopped them from leaving Kharkiv via Russia

Several students from Mysuru region, stranded at Kharkiv, have started their journey towards Poland, but they are facing shortage of food and water, reports DHNS from Mysuru.

Rakshit D Achar and several others have reached the railway station in Kharkiv. They have to travel 900 km to reach Poland, said Dharanesh, Rakshit’s father.

Sri Ganesh, a student in Zaporizhzhia, has reached the airport, according to his sister Malathi while Chandan has messaged that he is awaiting a flight at Bucharest (Romania).

Gayathri R Khanna, daughter of Rajesh Khanna of Srirangapatna, and Manoj Gowda, son of Jayaramegowda, are said to have left Kharkiv to the border.

They came out of the bunker on Tuesday evening and reached the railway station, along with other students. “We have boarded a train. Don’t know where we are going,” they have informed.

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