News Analysis India

Tag: Kharkiv

  • Modi for all possible efforts to bring back mortal remains of Karnataka student killed in Ukraine

    By Online Desk

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Modi while charing over a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting on Sunday directed that all possible efforts should be made to bring back the mortal remains of Naveen Shekharappa, who died in Kharkiv.

    The meeting was convened to review India’s security preparedness, and the prevailing global scenario in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

    Modi was briefed on the latest developments and different aspects of India’s security preparedness in the border areas as well as in the maritime and air domain. He was also briefed on the latest developments in Ukraine, including the details of Operation Ganga to evacuate Indian nationals, along with some citizens of India’s neighbouring countries, from Ukraine.

    ALSO READ | Indian student from Haveri district in Karnataka killed in shelling in Ukraine’s Kharkiv

    Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, 21, from Chalageri village of Ranebennur taluk in Haveri district of Karnataka was doing medicine at Kharkiv National Medical University. He was killed in a shell attack on the morning of March 1. Naveen’s father had asked the Centre to bring back his son’s body as early as possible.

  • 20,000 Indians have left Ukraine, about 3,000 still stranded: MEA

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Around 20,000 Indians have left Ukraine. The two areas where there is a relatively higher concentration of Indians is Sumy and Kharkiv.

    “There are over 700 Indians in Sumy. It’s a conflict zone and there is heavy shelling. We are restricted in our evacuation process. We are exploring all options. Westward evacuation through the Russian border is an option too, but since it is around 60 km away and in a conflict zone, we can’t risk the lives of our people,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

    MEA hopes for a ceasefire around Sumy as then it would be safe to evacuate Indians stuck there.

    In Kharkiv, there are approximately 300 Indians and evacuation efforts are challenged there too due to shelling. 

    In Pesochin, Indian students left the place on Thursday through five buses that the Indian government had arranged for them. “We are exploring all options of buses, trains whatever we can manage for our people. The role of student coordinators has been tremendous in this entire evacuation process and we will continue our efforts till the last Indian is out,” Bagchi added.

    ALSO READ | IMA urges PM to accommodate Ukraine-returned medical students in Indian colleges

    The Indian government has been able to bring 20,000 Indians out of Ukraine. Since the evacuation process began nearly 48 flights have been used to bring them back to India. Around 16 flights are scheduled to bring back those in the bordering countries of Ukraine – which include four Indian Air Force C17 aircraft – on Saturday. Around 10,500 Indians have returned to India.

    The majority of Indians who are out of the Ukrainian border would be back in India by Saturday.

    There are approximately 2000 to 3000 more Indians left in Ukraine. These figures are higher than the earlier projections of 20,000 as many obviously would not have registered with the embassy.

    Meanwhile, the Indian government has been getting requests from students of other nationalities like Bangladesh and Nepal for evacuation and they have said they would do the needful.”One Bangladeshi student has flown in with us,” Bagchi said.

    Once most Indians are out of Ukraine, the government could explore the possibility of putting the few who are left behind on commercial flights and bear the expenses.

  • Students from India, including Karnataka, march in groups in Kharkiv risking their lives

    By PTI

    HAVERI: Students and workers from India, along with a large number of people from other countries, were marching on Wednesday in Kharkiv in war-ravaged Ukraine towards the nearest railway station risking their lives holding the Indian national flag, the father of one student said.

    “About 1,000 people, including 700 Indians, are marching towards the railway station holding the Indian flag. They are going to the railway station, which is seven kilometres from their bunker, by walk as no vehicles are available,” Venkatesh Vaishyar told PTI.

    Venkatesh’s son Amit V Vaishyar (23) is a fifth-year medical student in Kharkiv Medical College.

    He is among three students from Chalageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district studying MBBS in Kharkiv Medical College.

    ALSO READ: Karnataka parents demand Modi make use of friendship with Russia to evacuate students

    Amit’s cousin Suman (24), son of Sridhar Murthy Vaishyar, is also a student there and both of them are trying to return from the strife-torn country.

    On Tuesday, their junior 22-year-old Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagouda was killed in a shelling when he moved out of the bunker to fetch some food, water and exchange currency.

    “Students have no option but to take the risk as they don’t have food and water. They are relying on God now and walking towards the railway station,” Venkatesh said.

    With tears in his eyes, he said Amit is his only son and if something happens to him he will not be able to live.

    Meanwhile, Naveen’s father Shekarappa Gyanagouda broke down as he saw the photograph of his son’s body on WhatsApp, which is in a morgue in Kharkiv.

    ALSO READ: Russia-Ukraine war – Many Karnataka students board trains to escape conflict

    Naveen is the second son of Gyanagouda.

    His elder brother Harsha is an MSc in Agriculture and is with the parents.

    Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday told reporters in Bengaluru that he will make sincere efforts to bring Naveen’s body back to India.

    “I will speak to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine to get updates of the efforts to get Naveen’s body. We will make a serious effort,” Bommai said.

    According to him, the Indian officials have intensified their efforts to evacuate people stranded in Kharkiv, especially students.

    Bommai said 26 aircraft would be pressed into service to bring the stranded people back to India.

    ALSO READ: Efforts underway to bring back mortal remains of Naveen, says CM Bommai

    The students have been asked to come from different directions.

    Since the war is raging, evacuation is a bit problematic, Bommai said adding that the Ukrainian authorities have asked the evacuees to form groups and march towards the railway station.

    The Chief Minister said efforts have been made to slowly evacuate people.

    Regarding compensation to Naveen’s family, Bommai said the government can do anything but the priority right now is to bring the body to India.

    “Whatever is in our hand we will do it. We will certainly give compensation. The family is in pain. We have to get the body first for which we have intensified our efforts,” Bommai said.

    Another unidentified student from Haveri district sustained injuries due to the shelling in Kharkiv, Bommai had said on Tuesday.

  • Russia-Ukraine war: Reaching Slovakia half battle for stranded Indian students

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: The death of an Indian student in Ukraine has left parents here frantic with worry as many students from Tamil Nadu are still stranded in Ukraine. The Russian forces have intensified the attack to lay siege on Kyiv and Kharkiv. According to officials, more than 80 per cent of the students from the State who went to study in Ukraine are in the two cities.

    Official sources said nearly 200 students from these cities have left to reach Slovakia, from where they will board flights to India. “We are hoping the rest of the students stuck in places where the attack has been intensified can also find their way to Slovakia,” said an official. 

    One of the students, Shanmugam Balamurugan from Sivagangai, a second-year medical student at Kharkiv National Medical University, said that he was standing in line to cross the border to Slovakia. A total of 20 students (16 boys and 8 girls) started their journey towards Slovakia on February 26. 

    “We stayed in a metro station in Kharkiv for two days. After eight hours of waiting, we boarded a train at 5 pm on February 26. From there, we reached Lviv in the western part of Ukraine. There was no food for several hours as we were supposed to board a train to Uzhhorod from there. Since there was no train on that day, we connected with friends of our seniors in the city and stayed with them for a night,” he said.

    The group of 20 students then arranged a bus from Lviv to Uzhhorod, which cost them around Rs 60,000, on Monday and then stayed in a sports hall. “From there, we arranged another bus to the Slovakia border and are currently standing in line,” Shanmugam told TNIE.

    The family of a 22-year-old medical student from Thiruvallur sought the help of State and central governments as their daughter Aswini Priya (22), student of VN Karazin Kharkiv National University, was allegedly stuck in the bunkers with other students. The students had been allegedly asked to vacate the campus by the college administration, said sources.

    According to B Amul Mary, mother of Aswini, “My daughter called me at 4.30 pm on Tuesday saying all the students in the bunkers were asked to vacate by the college administration.” When contacted Aswini told TNIE, “The network is poor here. There is a commotion among the students who are here at the bunker. However, a few officials contacted me from TN and had arranged for rescue operations.”

    GR Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality, said the situation has now worsened. Steps should be taken to bring the students back as soon as possible, he added.