Journalism of Courage
ELEVEN DAYS into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, India’s evacuation efforts have entered a critical stage with all eyes on the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, close to the Russian border, where about 700 Indians, mostly students, are waiting for rescue — the last big group from the country still stranded there.
🗞️ Subscribe Now: Get Express Premium to access the best Election reporting and analysis 🗞️
Speaking to The Indian Express, Renish Joseph, a student coordinator with Sumy State University who has been communicating with Indian officials, said the evacuation could start “any minute”, depending on the conflict situation.
Since Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civilian flights, India has been evacuating its stranded nationals via land routes of Moldova, Slovakia, Romania, Poland and Hungary.
On Sunday, India commenced the final leg of Operation Ganga, the Government’s evacuation mission, from Hungary. The Indian Embassy asked all students living in accommodation other than that arranged by the Government to reach Hungaria City Centre in Budapest between 10 am and 12 pm local time (2.30 pm and 4.30 pm IST).
In Ukraine, the Indian Embassy is trying to get a “sense” of how many Indians are still stranded in that country, particularly in Sumy, amid intense shelling and efforts to ensure safe passage. It has asked all those who are yet to leave conflict zones in Ukraine to “urgently” fill up a Google form, with personal details and location, for evacuation.
According to Joseph, there are less than 600 Indian students in Sumy, and not 800 as estimated earlier, since several of them had submitted multiple forms to register. “My top priority is mentally preparing the students to stay here for a week. The evacuation can begin any time but due to the mental state of students, I am trying to convince them for the long haul,” he said.
Joseph, who is staying with students in the Sumy university hostel, said he is “constantly in touch” with officials from the Embassy. “They are taking stock of the situation. For them, the safe evacuation of all is the top priority. I cannot divulge details, and there is no clarity yet. But one thing is clear, it (evacuation) will be done very soon, and the Indian Government has a proper plan for it, which has been conveyed to students,” he said.
Under Operation Ganga, 76 flights have brought back 15,920 Indians so far, including 13 that transported 2,500 in the last 24 hours. There are seven flights scheduled over the next 24 hours: an IAF C-17 from Rzeszow in Poland, five from Budapest and one from Suceava (Romania).
India has also sent six tranches of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including one weighing six tonnes that was dispatched on an IAF flight to Poland on Sunday. Officials said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) control room and centres operated by Indian embassies continue to operate 24×7. The MEA control room has attended 12,435 calls and 9,026 emails till Sunday afternoon, they said.
In Sumy, scared and weary after 10 days of waiting, Indian students posted a video clip on Saturday, announcing that they had decided to risk the walk to the Russian border. But within hours, the Government responded, asking them to remain inside shelters and assured them that they will soon be evacuated.
“Yesterday, things were getting out of hand. But I told them it can be very dangerous to leave the premises. I told them strictly to stay back,” Joseph said.
“I have divided the students into small groups and named team leaders for each. These leaders are now in charge of calming down the students and preparing them to be ready for evacuation. I told the students not to blame the Government or anyone, help each other to be mentally strong, take one day at a time, and prepare food in groups with whatever little is available,” he said.
Joseph said the Ukrainians have been providing them with water supply for two hours every day. “The food supply, though less, will suffice for the next two-three days. Electricity is provided during the day but is cut for several hours as per the security requirements of Ukrainian authorities,” he said.
“The railway line has been damaged and roads are filled with army men, so evacuation from the western borders of Ukraine is very difficult. The Russian border is nearby but there is uncertainty over whether the Ukrainians will allow students to pass through that side,” he said.
Asked if local officials have offered help to evacuate the students, Joseph said: “The place is under military rule. Even the Mayor does not have much control now and has his limitations. I communicate with university officials who communicate with the Mayor for any help. But on humanitarian grounds, the Ukrainians have been helpful so far.”
Initially, it was estimated that around 18,000 to 20,000 Indians were in Ukraine, but that number went up during the evacuation process with some, who did not register in the initial days, doing so later. In all, over 21,000 Indians have left Ukraine since the last week of January, including 19,920 who have reached India.
