Indian medical students in Kyiv wait to hear sirens to retreat to university bunker

Fahad, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, said till now (Ukraine time 9.30 am), their premises at Kyiv “looks safe”. “There was a curfew in the region from last night (Thursday) till 7 am today (Friday). We heard multiple explosions around 4:30 am. But after that, the situation looks normal outside where there is public transport and normal traffic. There has been a total mayhem till Thursday noon after the military airbase at Kyiv was attacked,” he said.

Fahad added, seized by the gravity of the situation, the university opened its hostel for all students who have been staying in apartments. “We remained mostly awake during the night as we were expecting the sirens to go off. After midnight, Ukrainian tanks and forces moved along the road outside. There were some rumours on social media that the Russians would invade the city early Friday morning so we remained at the hostel and waited with bated breath. So far, we are safe. We have a stock of provisions for two days but don’t know what will happen after that,” he said.

He added they were told by the Indian embassy to remain prepared to move to the Western borders of Ukraine. “But we don’t know how we would be able to travel by road as shelling can happen any time. It will take at least 12 hours to reach the Western border. Everybody has kept their documents and a few essentials ready in their bags,” he said.

At the northeastern city of Kharkiv, another group of Indian students have been staying inside a bunker since Thursday noon after the Russian forces invaded the region. A student, Aiswarya Dilipkumar, said, “We can hear frequent shelling somewhere in the city. Around 250 of us have been lodged at an underground bunker since Thursday noon. When there was a respite from the shelling in the morning, we returned to our hostel rooms but now once again we have been alerted to return to the bunker.”

She added, “Our city has been under attack right from the onset of the Russian invasion Thursday. We were told to remain inside the bunkers. Even now (at 10 am Ukrainian time) we can hear shelling somewhere near our hostel. The bunker is a large store-like facility, where we are holding on to our lives.”

Aiswarya also said that although the Indian government is planning an evacuation from the Western border of Ukraine, many Indians staying at Kharkiv and other northeastern regions, which are bearing the brunt of the Russian invasion, would find it difficult to move out. “We don’t know what will happen if we venture out and take a road trip to the other side of this country. Amid shelling, we cannot think about a road journey,” she said.