As Russia launched full scale military operation against neighbouring Ukraine, students from Madhya Pradesh, mostly pursuing medicine courses, are having a tough time getting back home. Two such girls Riya Pathak and Ishita Thakur, natives of Jabalpur, were left disappointed as flights were cancelled after Russia’s attack on Thursday.Both had flights scheduled for New Delhi on Thursday but as they arrived at the airport they learnt that all flights have been cancelled. Their families had booked the tickets at almost three times the normal price and are quite anxious about the girls stranded there.Narrating her ordeal to her family in Jabalpur, Riya told on a video call that she has found a shelter in a local Kyiv hotel which houses 12 Indian students in three rooms. The local hotel staff is extending all possible support to them, she added.Local authorities have asked us to remain in the hotel unless an alternate is made, said Ishita. Both the Jabalpur girls are studying MBBS in Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv.Pravin Pathak, a pharmacist by profession and Riya’s father claimed that including Riya, around 22 Indian students had booked flight tickets for Thursday and had reached Kyiv airport but were informed that the airspace was closed down due to a military conflict between the Russia and Ukraine. Afterwards they found shelter in a local hotel and are in constant touch with the Indian embassy, he said.The troubled students had paid Rs 60,000 each for the flight tickets to India. The families in Jabalpur have contacted local BJP MP Rakesh Singh urging him to speak to the Minister of External Affairs for evacuating the girls from Ukraine.Divyansha Sahu, a Tikamgarh native from the state and an MBBS student who is stuck in Kyiv city said that the Indian embassy has advised Indian students to find safe shelter in the underground metro station. We are spending the intervening night of Thursday and Friday in the station and will keep our documents with us. We have collected ration for a month’s time, said Sahu.Medical students of Dhar —Yash Verma and Rajat Hilal informed from Ukraine that they also got no flight in Kyiv on Thursday wee hours due to the Russian strike and were later stayed with other Indians at a local school.Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Assembly Elections Live Updates here.