Need buses from Kyiv to borders: Indian students seek help from safety bunker in Ukraine
India Today
As Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered day three, Indian students stranded in Ukraine have taken shelter in safety bunkers and have appealed for buses to be arranged to borders from where they could be evacuated.
As Kyiv continues to be under Russian attack, Indian students stuck in unsafe locations have started taking shelter inside bunkers. Exclusively speaking to India Today TV, Sana Sheikh said, “We started moving inside bunkers when the Ukraine administration sounded an alarm about possible bombings and attacks.” Sana said at least 500 Indian students are stuck in the hostel facility of Bogomolets National Medical University where she’s also a student.
When asked about evacuation plans, Sana said, “Right now we need to be safe, we are being told that Kyiv will be taken down within two days. In such a scenario, it will be difficult for us to travel from one place to another. If possible, we request the Indian Government to arrange buses from Kyiv to the borders of the neighbouring countries from where the evacuation will take place.”
Narrating the crisis situation at Kyiv, Sana said, “We have seen tankers on roads, we have seen explosions, initially we panicked but now we have become strong”. When asked how they moved to these bunkers, Sana explained that the bunkers, which are usually in the basement of the nearest factories, schools, metro stations, are visible on Google Maps. Whenever the alarm is sent, people move to the nearest bunker available to them.
Sana, who hails from Lucknow, is stuck inside one such bunker along with her friends, Shahrukh Aftar from Uttarakhand, and Yash Dejani from Maharashtra.
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine has sent out an advisory updating Indian nationals that evacuation will happen via Romania and Hungary. The students stuck in Kyiv said with tankers on roads, they feel unsafe unless buses are arranged to take them to the borders or safe locations from where they can follow the evacuation route.
India has already started its evacuation flights to Romania and Hungary to evacuate stranded Indians.
