Missile Attack, 15 Km Walk, 25 Hours On Train: Students' Ukraine Ordeal

Several Indian students are still reportedly trapped in bunkers in Kharkiv - one of the most heavily shelled Ukrainian cities since the brutal Russian invasion. A group of students who managed to escape the city and reached Delhi airport today through an evacuation flight from Poland, spoke to NDTV about the harrowing journey back home.

Simranpreet Singh who is from Punjab's Ludhiana said, "There used to be airstrikes through the day. We were 200 metre away from that massive missile attack that hit the city square in Kharkiv. The Indian embassy had issued urgent advisories to leave Kharkiv so we walked 15 kilometre to the railway station, risking our lives. We were on our way and only 5 kilometre away from the railway station when that missile hit. We all were terrified and started crying but somehow managed to reach the station. The Ukrainian guards threatened to shoot Indian students if they tried to get in. But we managed to get in somehow through another entry point. From Kharkiv to Lviv we were standing for 25 hours in the train. We needed help in Ukraine itself but were left to fend for ourselves in a war-zone."

Simranpreet added that he had met the Karnataka student, Naveen, who was killed in Russian shelling a few times in the library of the University. "It was so sad to hear about his death, the fact that an Indian student died in Ukraine because of other people's negligence," he said.

Simranpreet said, "My parents have not slept for the last several days because they were seeing the most terrifying news from Kharkiv constantly."

Another student Shivam who is from Delhi said, "We were desperately in need for someone to come and help us when we were facing missiles in Ukraine. But nobody came. All the help came only once we crossed the border into Poland."

Shivam also highlighted how the students were worried about their uncertain career prospects. He said, "We are all 5th year MBBS students and were on the verge of finishing our course. Now we don't know if the University in Kharkiv will ever function again since the whole city is being bombed. There is no information so far on whether the Indian government will provide any alternatives for students like us."

The students said that there are at least 500 students that are still stuck in Kharkiv and they need help. But they have been asked to move to certain points on foot and that is highly risky in these circumstances.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that a total of 18,000 Indians have left Ukraine since the first travel advisory was issued by the Indian Embassy in Kyiv.

"A total of 18,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since our first advisory was released. 30 flights under Operation Ganga have brought back 6,400 Indians from Ukraine so far. In the next 24 hours, 18 flights have been scheduled," MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.