"Doesn't Government Care?" Indian Student In Ukraine Appeals For Help

As Russian forces advanced in Ukraine today, bombing targets across the country, stranded Indian students appealed to the government to help them return safely to India.

Many students are desperate to leave after Russia's invasion forced Ukraine to shut down its airspace. An Air India special flight to Kyiv with eight turned back and returned to Delhi this morning.

Indian students waiting at the Kyiv airport were moved out and many complained that their luggage had been left at the airport. The students had travelled to the Ukraine capital from various cities to catch the flight.

"Yesterday my friends were going to Kyiv when there was a bomb blast. They were stopped midway and turned back," said Ashita Soni from Rajasthan, a young woman studying in Ukraine.

"If we call the Indian embassy and ask what we should do and where we should go, they have no response at all. They are not answering," Ms Soni railed.

She said her university said "just come to class"; there was no need to panic.

"Our life has no value for the universities. Our life has no value for the Indian government."

She also complained that even in this crisis, the ticket cost way more than a middle-class family could comfortably pay.

"In this situation too, the ticket price is Rs 60,000 to 70,000. Maybe richer families can pay, but how can a middle-class family pay? In this situation, it is their responsibility to evacuate us - if not free of cost, then at least at a more convenient price," she said.

This morning, a large number of Indian students in Ukraine showed up at the Indian Embassy in Kyiv, looking for shelter.

All could not be accommodated, so the embassy moved the students to safe premises nearby, sources say.

"This process took some time given the ground situation in Kyiv. No Indian national is currently stranded outside the Embassy. As fresh students arrive, they are being moved to the safe premises," said a source.

Another student, Junaid Khan, said he had heard blasts at the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia.

"I really hope that Indians are evacuated. I don't know if you know this but two major cities of Ukraine have been taken over by the Russian army. We are actually scared...patrolling is going on," he said.

The third year medical student was supposed to take a flight to Delhi on Sunday along with a few others. The crisis truly sank in when he tried to contact the Indian Embassy for help.

"The Indian embassy number we used to call was changed without us being told. The Indian embassy shifted from Kyiv to L'viv," said Junaid.

Junaid said he and his friends never imagined that the situation would spiral so soon.

"Everything was normal. There was news but there was no pressure. Our Dean advised against panic. We trusted our university, our embassy. But suddenly yesterday, a state of emergency was declared in Ukraine. That's when we realised it's time to leave. Kyiv is a dangerous place to stay," said Junaid.

He had a message for people back home, but not for his parents. "I want to say to all other families - I wish we all come back soon. I want my parents and other parents not to worry and trust in the government. We will come back soon," he said.