Several students stuck in war-torn Ukraine are taking refuge in metro stations
As Russia's assault on Ukraine continues, and thousands of Indians in the country look for a way out, several Indian students have been holed up in underground metro stations in Kharkiv for four days.
Vismaya Wilson, a medical student who has been in one of the metro stations with around 160 students, described in a video how she and others are coping with limited food and water, and what they call "humiliating treatment".
"Food and water is running out, but we have strict instructions not to go out of the stations due to safety issues," Vismaya says in the video.
"Even if we take the risk to move out and head to border areas, the treatment we are getting is unconditionally humiliating. Yesterday the army attack was happening from outside and our metros were sealed."
Vismaya said the students are fast losing their nerve.
"I myself was on the verge of collapsing. By today our food and water will be completely exhausted," she shared in the video.
The government has tasked four Union Ministers with overseeing the evacuation of Indians from Ukraine's border nations.
At least three evacuation flights will bring back Indians today - two from Romania's capital city Bucharest and one from Hungary capital Budapest. The flights will land in Mumbai and Delhi.
While announcing the ninth evacuation flight back to India this morning, Union External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar tweeted, "We will not rest till our fellow Indians are safe".
Indian students who are still stuck in cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv, however, appear desperate as they allege hardly any help from the Indian Embassy.
Yesterday, Indians in Kyiv were advised to make their way to the railway station to catch special trains to the western parts of Ukraine. The embassy requested all Indian nationals/students to "remain calm, peaceful and united".
"A large crowd can be expected at the railway stations, therefore, it is advised that all Indian students remain patient, composed and especially not to exhibit aggressive behaviors while at the railway stations. We expect delays in trains' schedule, even cancellation at times and long queues," said the advisory.
Many students said they were beaten at the station and not allowed on the trains.
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last Thursday. The first round of talks between the two countries at Belarus failed to yield a solution yesterday, even as Russia continued raining bombs on Ukrainian cities.