Trapped close to Ukraine war zone, Tamil Nadu students in panic mode

Trapped frightfully close to the war zone with air reverberating with the sound of blasts and the vibrations shaking their buildings, the students from Tamil Nadu have urged the Indian government to take immediate steps to bring them home safely.

Explaining the horror he felt when he was woken up by friends, Kirubakaran Sundar Rajan, a third-year medical student in Kharkiv National Medical University, recalled how it was all calm and normal when he went to bed the previous night.

“My friends woke me up at 4.30 am to witness the Russian strike which happened at just around 15 km from the hostels where we stay. We could feel the vibrations of the blast,” Kirubakaran told DT Next from Kharkiv. Following the early morning strike, the students realised to their panic that they do not have any means to return to India as the airspace was closed. When they contacted the local airports, officials told them services were shut and there are no aircraft available.

“There was an air strike at Vinnytsia railway station situated just five km away from our hostel. We were asked not to step out of the hostel, so we are not sure whether there are any casualties,” said Nivethitha Lenin, a student of National Pirogov Memorial Medical University.

Immediately after the blasts, the Indian students realised that it was only the beginning of a difficult period that awaits them. The local residents rushed to the neighbourhood shops to stock up on food and water. “There were more than 300 people in a small shop,” said Parvesh Musharaf, another medico in Vinnytsia, who added that those staying outside university hostels are the worst-affected.

For the Indians caught near the warzone, the major problem is the acute shortage of drinking water. “There is no groundwater in Ukraine. For drinking water, we are entirely dependent on water dispensaries. Since the airstrike, they have run out and the water recharge vehicles have not arrived,” said Kirubakaran. As the stock has almost run dry, a litre of water, which used to cost Rs 4 in Indian money, now cost Rs 22. Kirubakaran was among the lucky ones, as he managed to fetch five litres of water from a dispensary. But most of his friends do not have any. Those staying in hostels have been asked to go to the basement, while those residing outside were advised to take shelter in underground metro rail stations.

The only solace they have is the as-yet uninterrupted power supply and internet, enabling them to be in constant touch with their families back in India and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine.