Sukhmeet Bhasin
Bathinda, March 1
The Indian students stuck in Ukraine are battling hard to reach back home safely. It’s been five days since the Russian troops invaded Kyiv and Kharkiv, students stuck there have been hiding in hostel bunkers or at Metro stations.
No safe routes
We’ve been asked to reach the western border, which is impossible as the connecting bridges have been blown up to stop the invaders. Also, we have no food, but can’t go out due to heavy shelling. We are helpless. Khushal, Mansa native
Talking to The Tribune over phone, Meenu Kaur of Ralla village in Mansa district, who is stuck in Kharkiv, said: “The situation here is worse. We are running out of food. Also, we are continuously hearing the sound of explosions. So far, we’ve heard that 10 persons have been killed in the shelling here. We just appeal to the Indian Government to help us.”
She also shared a video with us in which a Russian missile hit a Central Square building in Kharkiv. Meenu along with many other Indian students has been stuck in a dingy bunker located in the basement of hostels. Most of the students are running low on cash as money transferring services are lying suspended and ATMs are blocked.
As per the new advisory issued by the government, all Indians are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today — preferably by trains or through any other means of transport available. However, the situation is quite worse and many students are scared to travel after the death of an Indian student on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Hansil of Bathinda, who has reached the Hungary border by bus, said: “We are at a shelter home near the border, our passports has been taken by the Indian Embassy and we are hopeful of returning home soon. There are around 3,000 Indian students waiting to return home.”
Nirmal Singh, father of Sukhpreet Kaur, who is stranded in Ukraine, said after several days of bombardment, the situation in Kharkiv had deteriorated further since last night and students there were badly affected. “Moreover, students are being left to fend for themselves. It is being said if they can get out then they should leave the city risking their lives.”
Meanwhile, Gurtej Singh said his daughter Jashanpreet Kaur along with Sukhpreet had left the Kharkiv Metro station at 8 am on Tuesday as now they had no choice after Russia’s threat to bomb the entire city.
It’s do-or-die for students now
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