Amidst the escalating war situation in Ukraine, a female student from Kiev has managed to board a train from the capital and reach Ukraine-Hungary border, bringing great relief to her parents at Ammathi Hosur in Virajpet, who are desperate to see their daughter, M.P. Nirmala, a 5 ^th year medical student at Bogomolets National Medical University in Kiev.

“She called us today and told us that she had reached the Hungarian border from Lviv railway station. She said she is safe and awaiting clearances to cross the border for evacuation. This message brought us a big relief as we spent sleepless nights worried about her safety. Now that she has reached the border where there is no tension, we hope to see her home soon,” said her mother Rajani.

She, her husband and son were glued to television for updates after the Russian forces targeted Kiev. “My daughter lived on the ground floor of a flat with a Kerala student. Four more students joined them as they found their place safe. The flat residents helped them. They somehow managed to reach the Kiev railway station and boarded a train to Lviv, after being told by the Embassy. We are praying that she gets evacuated soon and reaches home safely as we are anxious to see her,” the mother said.

Rajani wants Nirmala to complete her medical education as one and half years are now left for her to receive the degree. “Her education is important for us besides her safety. Now that she is in her fifth year, we wish she finishes her degree. She can go back after the situation becomes normal. We wish she completes the course taking all safety precautions,” she said, explaining the hard work put in by her daughter.

M.B. Pradeep from Betoli village in Virajpet taluk is another anxious parent whose daughter is stuck at Sumy in war-torn Ukraine. A father of two daughters, Pradeep is hoping that his daughter Shreya Pradeep, who went to Ukraine just three months ago to pursue medical education, returns at the earliest.

“My daughter is stuck along with 23 students from U.P., Bihar, Kerala and other states. They are said to be safe as they have sheltered on the Sumy State University campus. We took loans from banks and sent her to Ukraine. We had not imagined that she would face this crisis within three months of her journey. Her safety is our priority,” he said.

The parent is slightly relieved as his daughter told him she is fine and safe. “Whenever we get a call, we get ourselves evacuated from this place. She calls us frequently to keep us calm,” said Pradeep, adding that armed guards accompany stranded students when they go out in the campus to purchase essentials in two shops located in the same campus.

“We were upset as we did not hear anything from her a day after Russia invaded Ukraine. We were told that her phone’s battery had drained due to a power outage. Thereafter, she keeps us updated. My family are hoping to see her soon,” said Pradeep, who runs a shop.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – February 20th, 2022

Family members tense as stranded students yet to get evacuated from the war-torn Ukraine amidst rising attacks

The family members of students from Kodagu stranded in worn-torn Ukraine are keeping their fingers crossed and desperately hoping for their early and safe return amidst unrelenting air strikes on the cities by Russian forces.

Sinya Varoke Jose, a 22-year-old fourth year medical student in the capital Kiev, which is under attack with Russian military advancing, has taken shelter in a bunker at a school building with another student from Karnataka. The Indian Embassy asked them to shift to the bunker after attacks on Kiev intensified.

Mr. Jose, Sinya’s uncle in Ponnampet, said the stranded Indian students had given the information that the Indian Embassy is in constant touch with them but their evacuation is getting delayed with rise in aerial strikes on the city, and difficulty in reaching the nearest international border amidst the war situation.

“The embassy officials seem to have told them that they need about eight buses to shift all of them to the border. Moreover, there is a shortage of gas as only 15 litress per vehicle is being provided. Even food is in short supply and they are having a harrowing time,” Mr. Jose explained his niece’s plight.

Mr Jose, who spoke to Sinya on Saturday morning and has been in constant touch since the war began, said her mother lives in a village near Ponnampet and she hasn’t been told about the crisis. “We are praying for her early return. My niece told me that the locals are helping them but the situation is very tense and unsafe,” he said.

Karthik is constantly watching news channels for updates on the Ukraine-Russia war as his brother Likith is stuck in Kharkiv, one of the cities bombarded by the Russian forces.

As the war situation escalated, the Indian Embassy has told Indians stranded in Kharkiv not to venture out unless told by them even as Karnataka students have so far not received any communication about their evacuation.

“With my brother, eight other Karnataka students are stuck in Kharkiv. They moved to a bunker from the basement of their apartment on Saturday morning after loud explosions. Our prayer to the Indian government is to help them reach the border and evacuate them at the earliest to India as my family is worried about their safety,” said Karthik, an MBA student in Mysuru.

The place where Karnataka students are stuck also has 100-plus students from other Indian States.

Karthik, who has sent mails to the State government and the district administration with details of his brother for help, said Likith, a third year student at Kharkiv National Medical University, was planning to return to India after tensions rose but he did not get tickets. He attended online and offline classes the day before Russian invaded Ukraine. His flight was scheduled on March 3.

The situation appears to be tense as they are constantly hearing loud explosions. From the basement, they shifted to the bunker for their safety and eagerly awaiting evacuation calls from the Embassy, said Karthik, whose mother is a nurse.

“The nearest international border is about 1,500-km. away So, it is very challenging for the embassy officials too to move all of them to the border for evacuation. We don’t know how the situation will evolve in the next couple of days as tensions are building up with essentials getting exhausted,” said Karthik, after speaking to his brother.

Ten students from Kodagu are stuck in Kiev, Kharkiv, and Sumy Oblast. They include Ashwin Kumar B.V., Alisha Saiyad Ali, Billava Likith Koragappa, Chandan Gowda, Akshitha Akkamma, M.P. Nirmala, Arjun Vasanth, Sinya V.J., Mysore Kantharaj Tejaswini and Sheetal Sampath, according to the district administration.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / February 26th, 2022

Even as the Indian Government was making efforts to get the stranded students from the country evacuated from the war-torn Ukraine, five students from Kodagu currently stuck in different cities of Ukraine are safe, an official from the district disaster management authority has said.

The official, who wished not to be named, said he got in touch with the five students, including three girls and two boys, studying in cities, including Kyiv, and they told him that they were safe but were facing a short supply of essentials with shops and businesses closed after Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

“Till Friday afternoon, there was no communication from the students. However, the parents of these students got in touch with the district administration. We managed to make video calls with the students to know about their safety. They sought help for their early evacuation,” the official told The Hindu.

The Kodagu district administration is collating information on the stranded students and communicating the same to the State Government which is coordinating with the Indian government for evacuation.

Some students are said to be stuck on their college campuses while others are in their homes. “We have advised them to take all safety precautions. They have been advised to remain on the ground floor or in the basement of the buildings as a safety measure with cities under aerial attacks,” according to the official.

One problem that the students are facing now is the transportation to reach the border for getting evacuated from neighbouring countries like Poland. “The government authorities are coordinating on this issue with the embassy as we have communicated the problems faced by the students, who have been counselled on managing the war situation with the available resources. Their parents in Kodagu have been told to remain calm with efforts on to get them evacuated soon,” the disaster management official said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / February 25th, 2022