News Analysis India

Tag: Sumy State University

  • It’s a miracle to have survived war: Evacuated Indian students recall experiences

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Indian students, who were stuck in beleaguered Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, said it was a “miracle” to survive the war and they were now “relieved” to have finally reached Delhi on Friday morning.

    Dheeraj Kumar, a sixth-year medical student in Sumy State University, said he was pleased to see his parents at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here.

    “We have gone through unprecedented challenges in Sumy. It was a terrible experience to survive the war for 13 days. To me, it looks like a miracle to have returned alive to my country,” Kumar told PTI as he touched the feet of his parents, who had arrived from Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba to receive their son.

    Kumar also thanked the Indian government and the embassies in Ukraine and Poland for helping in their evacuation and safe return to India.

    “Our government supported us a lot. They did everything to bring us back. I am relieved to be back here,” Kumar said.

    Covering hundreds of miles across Ukraine using multiple means of transport, the students were evacuated from the war-hit east European country after their two weeks of excruciating stay in beleaguered Sumy.

    After having endured a strenuous journey to escape the war-hit region, they were evacuated in the second attempt from Sumy, which has been witnessing a heavy shelling and intense gunfire ever since the Russian offensive on Ukraine began last month.

    Another medical student in Sumy, Mahima Rathi, a native of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, said they had to run to the bunkers every time the sirens blew.

    “Whenever the siren blew, we had to take shelter in bunkers. We were all very terrified as we never knew whether we will be able to survive and return safely. We are now at ease after returning to India,” Rathi said.

    An Air India flight from Poland’s Rzeszow, carrying 240 students evacuated from Sumy, landed in Delhi on Friday morning.

    The aircraft took off from Rzeszow around 11.30 pm (IST) on Thursday and landed in Delhi at 5.45 am on Friday, officials said.

    India has sent three flights to Poland to bring back a big last group of 600 students evacuated from Sumy.

    Another aircraft is expected to land in Delhi around 8.40 am, officials said.

    The Indian government is carrying out a challenging evacuation exercise under Operation Ganga to help stranded Indians leave Ukraine.

    The operation to evacuate the 600 students from Sumy began on Tuesday morning.

    An Air India flight from Poland’s Rzeszow carrying students evacuated from northeastern Ukrainian city Sumy, landed in Delhi on Friday morning, officials said.

    The flight had taken off from Rzeszow around 11.30 pm (IST) on Thursday and landed in Delhi at 5.45 am on Friday, they said.

    India has sent three flights to Poland to bring back 600 students evacuated from Sumy.

    Another flight is expected to land in Delhi around 8.40 am, officials said.

    According to the details shared by the students with PTI, the first flight was for first, second and third-year students.

    The second flight is for fourth and fifth-year students and the third is for those with pets, fifth and sixth-year students and for any other who may have been left behind, they said.

    The Indian government is carrying out a challenging evacuation exercise under Operation Ganga to help stranded Indians leave Ukraine.

    The operation to evacuate the 600 students from Sumy began on Tuesday morning.

  • Ukraine war: Home trip was never so sweet for Indian students of Sumy State University

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: As many as 682 students stuck at Sumy State University have finally left the war-stricken city and moved towards Poltava from where they will board trains for western Ukraine to be evacuated to India. The students expressed happiness and thanked the government of India and the Indian Embassy for evacuating the students after the delay of three days.

    According to Pinaki Ranjan, a fifth year student from Assam’s Nagaon, buses were arranged for the students to move to Poltava from where they will be evacuated to Romania and later to India. “The students were also joined by officials from the Indian Embassy and their university officials as well. We want to thank our government, diplomats, the Red Cross Society for this safe evacuation operation,” said Pinaki.

    On Monday, the mood became sombre as students were asked to deboard the buses at the last minute after the Indian Embassy reportedly informed the college that it would not be safe for them to embark on their journey to the Romania border.

    According to Pinaki, only three buses had arrived for more than 600 students. But he added  more buses were brought on Tuesday. Stuck in Sumy since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the group of students had become restless as several requests to evacuate did not work out.

    On Saturday, the students had released a video stating that they will leave on their own and walk towards the Russian border. However, after an assurance from the government and a call from the PMO, the students backed out.

    According to Arindrom Phukon, a fourth year MBBS student, the situation at Sumy had become terrible with shortage of food and water along with regular electricity cuts. “We were hearing sounds of bomb explosions every hour. It had become a challenging task to enter bunkers. We are very happy that we are going back to safer zones and later to our country.”

  • Ukraine crisis: Indian students of Sumy State University put off risky trek through warfront

    Express News Service

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Around 700 Indian students of Sumy State University in Ukraine, who had planned to undertake the huge risk of walking 50 km through the war front to the Russian border, have deferred the move.  This, after the Indian embassy promised their safe evacuation soon and urged them to stay put in the university for the time being.

    “We were at our wit’s end when we came to know that evacuation of Indians from all other parts of Ukraine, except Sumy, was progressing. We felt we were abandoned. In such a stage, taking the huge risk was the only option before us,” said Niranjana Santhosh, a medical student who hails from Thrissur.

    The video message, in which Niranjana and other students announced their plan to walk to the border, had gone viral on Saturday, prompting the Indian Embassy to intervene urgently. 

    “It was also the news of the ceasefire that prompted us to head to the Russian border. But as we prepared to move, we could hear loud blasts and gunfire from afar. This convinced us that the fighting was still on,” she added.

    Meanwhile, a group of around 150 Nigerian students paid through the nose to arrange buses to the border. But they were stopped just a few kilometres from Sumy by the Ukrainian forces, the students said.

    Meanwhile, the fighting eased a bit on Sunday and the students were able to spend some time out of the bunkers. The university has now arranged a tanker that would provide drinking water in limited quantities every morning to the students.  

    “We are still huddled together, with our bags packed and ready for an evacuation anytime, as promised by the Indian embassy. Maybe it’s our medical education background that has given us the mental strength to endure these hardships. But the big question is: for how long can we hold on,” said Raifa Fatima, a fifth-year student of the university.

    Meanwhile, a direction from Indian Embassy to the students on Sunday to fill up registration forms has raised hopes of an imminent evacuation from the war-torn country.