KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- It is estimated that 1.5 million refugees have sought shelter in neighbouring countries of Ukraine over the last 11 days, according to the UN
- India has managed to safely evacuate over 20,000 of its nationals from the war-torn country
- India has expressed deep concern that despite its repeated requests to both Russia and Ukraine, the safe corridor for Indian students stranded in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy failed to materialise
Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine military conflict, there are numerous stories waiting to be told. Those are the stories of the people who walked for countless hours to escape the threat of Russian missiles. In spite of the harsh weather in Ukraine, they did not stop and kept going. Even though they all had different tales to tell, they all shared one thing in common – the determination to survive. This story is about an Indian student who was in Ukraine to study but was caught up in the conflict. Bellary Soloman Hrishikesh, who belongs to Ballari in Karnataka, arrived in Ukraine in December 2021 to pursue an MBBS degree from the Ivano Frankivsk National Medical University. Simultaneously, Soloman started taking Ukrainian language lessons. With the conflict between Russia and Ukraine getting hotter, Soloman’s parents asked him to return to India. But the university he was attending made it difficult for students to leave, so they got stuck. “I had intended to leave, but our university was not offering classes online. So, what happens in Ukraine is that when we miss any class, they give us some time to make up for it by having us write a test and give an oral test on the topic that we missed. If we do not do it on time, then we have to pay a fine. This was the reason that despite knowing the intentions of Russia, most of the students didn’t leave Ukraine.” Related NewsRussia-Ukraine war: Military operation can be suspended if Kyiv fulfils Moscow’s demands, says Putin – 10 pointsIndia denies Russia’s claim of Ukraine holding Indian students as ‘human shields’Soloman’s parents, however, insisted that he leave everything and return to India when the invasion occurred. Therefore, he booked a flight for February 28. On February 24, however, Russian forces launched a massive air, land, and sea assault on 44 million-strong Ukraine, a European democracy. It was the beginning of the largest humanitarian crisis Europe has witnessed in decades. Soloman’s university is located in the western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk. When it became clear that Soloman and his friends would not be able to board a plane from Ukraine, they devised an evacuation strategy. Related News’Exploring all possible mechanisms for safe evacuation’: India amid SOS calls from students in Ukraine’s SumySoloman recalled that it was his seniors who suggested moving towards the Slovakia border as a lot of students were headed towards the Romania border. They confirmed the same with the Indian embassy and started their journey. There were 63 students in the group, and each paid Rs 2,500 (in total, Rs 157,500) to hire a minibus. The group managed to hire the minibus despite the challenges. The road distance between Ivano-Frankivsk and Uzhhorod is around 272 km. The city of Uzhhorod is near the Ukrainian-Slovakian border. “We left Ivano-Frankivsk at 11 am on February 26 and reached the Uzhhorod check post at around 1 am on February 27,” said Soloman. Throughout the 14-hour trip, the minibus was stopped various times for inspection. However, “we were dropped off prior to Uzhhorod and walked four-five kilometres from some highway to the checkpoint. There, we waited for 20 hours to cross the checkpoint.” However, it is at the Uzhhorod check post that the group of Indian students faced major issues. According to Soloman, his friends were beaten. “Some of my friends got bruises. Pepper spray was also used against us,” said Soloman. After waiting in the queue for around 20 hours without food or water, they were allowed to move towards the Slovakian border. “We were transported to the border in a bus and there we waited for three-four hours. They then took our passports and gave us visas, and we entered Slovakia. We finally crossed the Slovakian border at around 12 midnight on February 27,” said Soloman. “I don’t dispute the fact that everything from food to accommodations to travel back to India from Slovakia was provided by the Indian embassy. But the point is that we could also have taken the flights after crossing the border, but the real issue was reaching the border without help. We ate little, had no water to drink, and felt humiliated, and the Indian embassy, our only ray of hope, did not help us.” Soloman is now back home, with his parents. The Indian government has helped facilitate the safe return of over 20,000 Indians from Ukraine. However, 700-800 Indian students still remain trapped in Sumy, desperate to stay alive as supplies deplete rapidly and exit routes are blocked by fighting. Hundreds of Indian students stand on roadside sidewalks every morning, seeking rescue from the savagery of the war that has engulfed the nation. It is heartbreaking to learn that they are now melting snow to quench their thirst. However, as fierce fighting blocks their way across the Russian border, the wait for safety has grown longer. Closing this article with the hope that both Russia and Ukraine open a “humanitarian corridor” soon for the safe evacuation of those stranded in the middle of the war.