An Indian student, who was stranded in Ukraine, has been able to escape from the country with her pet dog as missiles rained down on Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
In a photo being shared on social media, the girl, Arya Aldrin, is holding a Siberian husky in her arms as she gently smiles for the camera. "Arya rescued her dog too from the war and brought the dog with her all the way to Kerala,” the caption read.
A user praised Arya's efforts to save her pet. The comment read, “Ukraine President didn't run away leaving his citizens. She too didn't run away leaving her dog alone in the war zone.”
A person wrote, “This is so heartwarming. God bless such compassionate souls."
Praising Arya for her efforts, another user said, “Hats off to this loving child."
A few were concerned about the dog's ability to adjust to the tropical climate.
According to news reports, Arya is a student at National Pirogov Memorial Medical University in Vinnytsya, Ukraine. Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty posted a message on social media confirming that she is from Vandiperiyar in Kerala's Idukki district.
“Arya, a native of Vandiperiyar, returned to Indian soil from the battlefield without abandoning her pet dog. The world seeks growth through love,” he wrote in a Facebook post in Malayalam.
Earlier, Rishabh Kaushik, a third-year engineering student stuck in Ukraine had pleaded for help in rescuing his pet from Ukraine. Mr Kaushik had refused to leave the country without his pet dog.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday. Several Indian students remain stuck in eastern parts of Ukraine, which is most affected by the Russian military offensive.
On Monday, the government said that of the estimated 20,000 Indian nationals who were present in Ukraine about 8,000 have left the country since its first advisory earlier this month.
