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NEW DELHI: Some are hiding in dark and damp World War II bunkers, shuddering every time shells and missiles flew overhead and exploded in Sumy, the northeastern Ukrainian city just 60km from Russia. Some are collecting and melting snow after Russian bombing smashed power and water lines to their hostels. Some are passing out in fear, hunger and mental exhaustion.
These are among at least 800 Indians fighting to be rescued from the city that is more than 1,500km away from the borders of Hungary, Romania and Poland. Russia had arranged buses to evacuate Indians from Sumy, said Khemchand Raj of Gujarat’s Vadodara, whose son Ritik is one of students left stranded in the embattled city. “But the Ukrainians are stopping them, saying the buses might get attacked as civilians are also fighting in the conflict.” He fears that the Ukrainians might be using Indian students as human shields.
Hopes of fleeing the fighting were high among the students in Sumy after they received a message that they will be evacuated within 48 hours on Tuesday. But hope turned to despair as the Russian offensive intensified in the city since Thursday. Roads and bridges have been bombed to check the Russian advance and trains are not moving either. Sumy itself is marooned. Rescuing those in Sumy will be a tough challenge and a major area of concern, the government admitted as much.
A student from Kerala said they can’t move out without Ukrainian authorities’ clearance to reach the Russian border where Indian officials have been waiting since Wednesday. “Buses are ready to transport us to Suzhda (Russian border). It takes around an hour,” said Ahamed Zakir Husain, a fourth year medical student. Even if they are cleared, they have to move through intense shelling and gunfire, and might run into bandits looting foreigners.
The students have little choice: the place is being bombarded constantly, they are surviving on subsistence ration. Videos of students at Sumy State University collecting snow and melting it to drink and cook were shared on social media on Friday. “If we do not die because of the war, we will certainly die of a lack of food and water,” a student said. They are sitting ducks if they go out to collect ice from a nearby lake or in search of food. “We will be killed if we step out. We have to stay put,” said a student.
(Inputs from Prabin Kalita in Guwahati, Parul Kulshrestha in Jaipur, Sruthy Susan Ullas in Bengaluru and Jaikrishnan Nair in Kottayam)
These are among at least 800 Indians fighting to be rescued from the city that is more than 1,500km away from the borders of Hungary, Romania and Poland. Russia had arranged buses to evacuate Indians from Sumy, said Khemchand Raj of Gujarat’s Vadodara, whose son Ritik is one of students left stranded in the embattled city. “But the Ukrainians are stopping them, saying the buses might get attacked as civilians are also fighting in the conflict.” He fears that the Ukrainians might be using Indian students as human shields.
Hopes of fleeing the fighting were high among the students in Sumy after they received a message that they will be evacuated within 48 hours on Tuesday. But hope turned to despair as the Russian offensive intensified in the city since Thursday. Roads and bridges have been bombed to check the Russian advance and trains are not moving either. Sumy itself is marooned. Rescuing those in Sumy will be a tough challenge and a major area of concern, the government admitted as much.
A student from Kerala said they can’t move out without Ukrainian authorities’ clearance to reach the Russian border where Indian officials have been waiting since Wednesday. “Buses are ready to transport us to Suzhda (Russian border). It takes around an hour,” said Ahamed Zakir Husain, a fourth year medical student. Even if they are cleared, they have to move through intense shelling and gunfire, and might run into bandits looting foreigners.
The students have little choice: the place is being bombarded constantly, they are surviving on subsistence ration. Videos of students at Sumy State University collecting snow and melting it to drink and cook were shared on social media on Friday. “If we do not die because of the war, we will certainly die of a lack of food and water,” a student said. They are sitting ducks if they go out to collect ice from a nearby lake or in search of food. “We will be killed if we step out. We have to stay put,” said a student.
(Inputs from Prabin Kalita in Guwahati, Parul Kulshrestha in Jaipur, Sruthy Susan Ullas in Bengaluru and Jaikrishnan Nair in Kottayam)
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