No fixed formula, just run: Indian students recall struggle to flee war-hit Ukraine
India Today
Russia-Ukraine War News Updates: After returning to India, students who were stranded in Ukraine amid a war with Russia, told India Today about the difficulties they faced while trying to reach the borders in order to be evacuated.
As many as 182 passengers, mostly students studying at Ukraine's Vinnytsia National Pirogov Medical University, heaved a sigh of relief after they landed at the Mumbai airport on Monday morning. They had a smile on their faces on returning home finally, after a long struggle to escape the war zone of Ukraine.
Recalling her harrowing experience of reaching the borders to be evacuated, Nishi Malkani, a resident of Mumbai's Thane said, "Just run. There is no fixed formula. We heard firing and fighter jets. We used to run and hide in a bunker when we heard gunshots. There are many more students in the war-hit areas. Just hope that everybody returns home safely."
Follow full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis here.
"There is no mobile network there. There is no mode of transportation and they couldn't go out of their houses as the firing was underway. Their families spoke to us and we are wishing for their safe return," she said.
Purva Patil, a first-year MBBS student of Bukovinian State Medical University said she had to spend two days at the border. "We braved the weather, walked for kilometres at a stretch and reached the border only to find that it was crowded. There are Ukrainians who are trying to flee the country. There was no space to move near the border crossing. There was a stampede-like situation. We spent our night eating whatever we had. We got in touch with the embassy once we crossed the border and reached India comfortably."
Follow Live Updates here.
"Earlier, the situation there was peaceful but it has been tense in the last few days. Our university helped us and coordinated with the embassy. Two of our batches returned to India easily, but the third batch faced problems as the borders got crowded. Videos of assaults on Indian students were also viral. We got here with a lot of difficulties. All students from our university have been evacuated safely," she said.
