Bombing underway in Ukraine’s Sumy, says sister of medical student
Dr Priyanka Aher said the students stuck in Sumy – estimated to be over 800 – are vulnerable as, in the absence of water supply, they have been stepping out to collect ice for basic needs.
Indian students rest on the floor at the train station after fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Zahony, Hungary March 3, 2022 (Reuters)
Over 800 medical students stuck in their college hostels in Sumy, a city in north-eastern Ukraine, woke up to bombings on Saturday morning. Their relatives are worried as the students, in the absence of water supply, have been stepping out to collect ice for basic needs, which makes them vulnerable to attacks.
Dr Priyanka Aher, sister of medical student Mayuri Aher who is stuck in Sumy, told The Indian Express, “I called my sister this morning. It was 6 am in Ukraine when the bombings started. I could hear the explosions. Already there is no water supply for over 24 hours now and the bombings are scaring them even more. The students are forced to step out to collect ice which they boil and use for basic purposes. The Indian government keeps assuring that they will be evacuated soon, but the students are losing hope as there is no clarity when evacuation will take place.”
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On Friday night, Aher’s sister Mayuri told The Indian Express over the phone: “We have given up all hope of being rescued. At times, I feel the Indian government is giving us false hope. The Indian embassy tells us they will rescue us but has not given us a time frame. I feel hopeless… After yesterday’s blast, water supply got discontinued in different parts of Sumy, including our college hostel. We boiled ice to get water, even for drinking,” Mayuri said.
She said the embassy has stopped taking their calls: “The health of some students with underlying conditions is getting affected.”
More than 800 medical students from Sumy University had on Thursday made a desperate appeal to the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a video, pleading to be rescued from the war zone.
Back in Mumbai, a group of students, who escaped from Kyiv and Kharkiv on March 1 and took a flight from Hungary, said they saw rockets flying over their heads and witnessed explosions from their apartment windows. They appealed to the government to rescue the thousands of others still stuck in eastern Ukraine.
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
