News Analysis India

Tag: Ukraine

  • 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.

  • Ukraine crisis: 31 evacuation flights to bring back over 6,300 Indians in coming days

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: As many as 31 evacuation flights will be operated to neighbouring countries of crisis-hit Ukraine and will bring back more than 6,300 Indians stranded in the eastern European nation, according to official sources.

    Under ‘Operation Ganga’, the flights will be operated by Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Indian Air Force.

    From March 2, 21 evacuation flights will be operated to bring back Indians from Bucharest in Romania, while 4 will be from Budapest in Hungary, the sources said.

    Further, 4 flights will be operated to bring back people from Rzeszow in Poland and 1 flight from Kocise in Slovakia.

    Indian Air Force will be bringing back Indians from Bucharest. Together, the planned 31 flights – from March 2 till March 8 – will be coming back with more than 6,300 people.

    The sources on Wednesday said Air India Express and SpiceJet planes have a capacity for around 180 people while Air India and IndiGo can carry up to 250 and 216 passengers, respectively.

    While Air India Express will be operating a total of 7 flights, SpiceJet will press 4 flights into service. Air India will operate 7 flights and IndiGo will fly back people in 12 flights.

    Air India Express and Air India will be flying in people from Bucharest while IndiGo has planned 4 flights each from Bucharest, Budapest and Rzeszow.

    SpiceJet will operate 2 flights from Bucharest, 1 from Budapest and 1 from Kocise in Slovakia.

    The sources said 9 evacuation flights have brought back Indians stranded in Ukraine since February 26, and around 5-6 flights are “underway”.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that six flights under ‘Operation Ganga’ have departed for India in the last 24 hours.

    “#OperationGanga developments. Six flights have now departed for India in the last 24 hours. Includes the first flights from Poland. Carried back 1,377 more Indian nationals from Ukraine,” he said in a tweet this morning.

    On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that around 2,000 Indians have returned to their homeland, while 4,000-5,000 are getting ready to be brought back by flights.

    Amid the Russian offensive against Ukraine, India started the evacuation of around 14,000 of its stranded citizens in the Eastern European country on February 26.

  • Some students incommunicable in Ukraine

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The students stuck in Ukraine have claimed that many of their friends from different universities have gone ‘missing’ and they have been unable to contact them. Some families back in India have also lost touch with their children pursuing MBBS in Ukraine. 

    Ashita Bhardwaj, a student of Donestk National Medical University, is missing since two days. According to her elder sister, who is a teacher by profession in Delhi, Ashita could not be contacted, nor did she get in touch with her family.

    A student hugs her family member on herarrival at Birsa Munda InternationalAirport in Ranch on Tuesday“She was trying to reach the Poland border but we have not been able to track her,” the elder sister added. According to Sahil Lathwal, a student at Kharkiv National Medical University, several students from his university have gone missing and their college WhatsApp group is regularly being updated with the updates of these persons. 

    “Prem Singh, a sixth-year MBBS student (named changed) from Haryana, who was studying at our university, has gone missing and his phone is unreachable for the last two days. We are calling him non-stop but the network is also bad here,” said Sahil from Kharkiv. 

    Another student from Vinnytsia National Pirogov Medical University called Abdul (name changed) is also untraceable for the last two days. His friends were unable to contact him as his phone did not work. “We have posted his details on various social media platforms and are asking for his whereabouts. Hope we find him soon,” said his friend Saurav (name changed) studying in the same university. Abdul was on his way towards Poland border and couldn’t be tracked later. 

    According to Sandeep Kaur, a student who was able to cross the Poland border and is now waiting to fly back to India, many students headed for the Ukraine-Poland border lost their phones on the way and the border security forces snatched the phones of some of these students. 

    Short takes

    350 from Bihar still in UkrainePatna: A total of 350 students from Bihar are still stranded in Ukraine, leaving their family members high and dry. The highest 64 students stuck in Ukraine were from East Champaran district. Patna has 38 students followed by Katihar, 19, Purnia, 17 and Sitamarhi, 15, respectively. The remaining were from districts like Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Siwan and Nawada. In all, 83 students returned homes safely in three days.

    MP, Polish envoy exchange barbsNew Delhi: A war of words ensued between Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi and Poland’s Ambassador to India over a tweet stating denial of entry of Indian students from war-hit Ukraine. On Monday, Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted tagging the Indian Embassy in Poland over the issue, which was swiftly replied refuting the stated claim. The Polish envoy also tweeted about the efforts made by the Polish government.

    Cong wants parl meet convenedNew Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday demanded that the government convene an all-party meeting on Ukraine to appraise the parliamentarians about the situation. “At such a crucial time in history, PM Modi should convene an all-party parliamentary meeting on the war. Such a dialogue will help the government take the best possible step forward,” said Gaurav Gogoi, party deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.

    90% of students abroad fail to qualify in India: MinisterNew Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi claimed 90 per cent of Indians, who study medicine abroad, fail to qualify in exams in India. His remarks came as one medical student died in Ukraine on Tuesday, while thousands are stranded even as the government tries to evacuate them. The union minister said, “This was not the time to debate over the matter of why students went abroad to study medicine.”

  • Forces at border used stun guns, batons and fired in the air: Student

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Walked nearly 50 kilometres in the cold for four days – sometimes alone, hungry and almost on the verge of collapse. Nineteen-year-old Asha (name changed), a second-year medical student in Ukraine, finally had a good night’s sleep at a hotel in Poland on Monday. 

    Terrified after her harrowing time at the border where she was among the hundreds of Indian students, who were beaten, tortured, and harassed, she finally heaved a sigh of relief when she was reunited with friends she had separated from while walking towards the Ukraine-Poland border at the hotel arranged by the Indian Embassy in Poland in cooperation with Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

    “I started walking with my friends on February 25 morning. Last night, we had reached this hotel (in Poland). We were constantly walking in the minus five degree temperature with luggage. We had carried food and water with our us,” she told this newspaper over the phone about her journey after Russia attacked Ukraine. She is now staying with over 400 Indian students at the Hotel Prezydenckie in Poland and is waiting for flights back home tonight.

    Sharing her experience at the Ukraine-Poland border where Indians were beaten up, she said, “We were stopped at the border for close to eight hours without reason. The Ukrainian army suddenly turned violent. They started beating up people, especially Indians.” “They used batons, stun guns, and even fired in the air. It was a terrifying sight which I will never forget,” she said. Her other friends, who also requested not to be identified, and were injured at the border, agreed that the memory would permanently be etched in their minds. 

    Nehal Singh from Ahmedabad, a third-year student from the same college, said he is happy to be alive and doesn’t want to remember the horror they witnessed at the border where Indians were beaten up mercilessly. During her journey towards the Polish border, Asha was separated from her friends and walked alone for miles. “I was lucky to find another group of Indian students who were walking towards the border. Many of us also suffered from hyperthermia.”

    “I walked for 40 to 50 kilometres in these four days. My legs are swollen, my skin is peeling. I have cuts and bruises. It’s the same with my friends,” she constantly coughed as she spoke. “Now, I am in a safe place. The arrangements here are fantastic,” she said as she praised Amit Lath, vice-president of the Chamber, who is helping the Indian Embassy in Poland in making arrangements for the evacuees. “He is also helping us in trying to locate other Indian students who are similarly stranded.”

  • Pilot shortage affects AI operations

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Air India, which has been sending evacuation flights to bring back Indians from Ukraine, sent its smaller aircraft (Boeing 787 Dreamliner) due to shortage of pilots who fly bigger aircraft, like the Boeing 747.

    Nearly 1,400 Indians have been flown back to India in the first six evacuation flights from Ukraine. More persons could have been evacuated had Air India been able to send a larger capacity aircraft like the B 747.While the Dreamliner has a capacity of 330 passengers, B 747s can fly up to 600 passengers. According to sources, this has happened due to shortage of pilots that fly this aircraft. It is reliably learnt that pilots who were flying B 744 (B 747-400) have been sent to fly B 777, B 787 and A 320.

    According to sources, the four B 747 aircraft that Air India has at present are being considered to be utilised later for cargo and Haj operations (two each). Since the B 747 pilots have been asked to fly B 744, in order to return back to flying B 747 they will have to do an extended ground refresher course, couple of simulator and route checks. The Boeing 744 simulator was decommissioned due to maintenance, and in the interim pilots were using simulator of Singapore Airlines. 

    Air India has refused to comment on the shortage of pilots. “Positioning of aircraft depends on various factors, including availability of aircraft, ground handling infrastructure at destination airports, fuel efficiency etc. Due to operational reasons and infrastructure feasibility. B787 aircraft are being used now,” an Air India spokesperson told TNIE.

    Air India operates 141 aircraft, including the Air India Express’s 24 Boeing B737-800s. Around 43 of these are on lease. The Air India fleet of aircraft includes Airbuses (A 319-100, A 320-200, A 320-200neo, A 321-200) and Boeings (B 747-400, B 777-200(LR), B 777-300(ER) and B 787-800. Meanwhile, more airlines from India will now fly back those stranded in Ukraine. 

  • 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.

  • Ukraine war: PM Modi speaks to father of Indian student killed in Kharkiv, offers condolences

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to the father of Indian student Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, who died in shelling in war-hit Ukraine. Official sources said that Modi offered his heartfelt condolences to the family following the tragedy.

    Gyanagoudar was a native of Karnataka’s Haveri district. Earlier, the external affairs ministry in a tweet confirmed his death. “With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning,” it said.

    The ministry said that it is in touch with Gyanagoudar’s family.

  • Russia-Ukraine crisis: Karnataka deploys officials at Delhi, Mumbai to help evacuees return home

    By ANI

    BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said the state has deployed two officials, one each at Mumbai and New Delhi, to help Karnataka students arriving from Ukraine reach their homes without any hassles.

    “Efforts to bring back Kannadigas from Ukraine are on and two officials have been deployed at Mumbai and New Delhi to help Karnataka students arriving from Ukraine reach their homes without any hassles”, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

    The CM added that the students who are in the Northeastern part of Ukraine are facing problems. “The External Affairs Minister has been requested to make arrangements for their food and shelter and guide them to safety”, said the Karnataka CM.

    Bommai further said that Karnataka has requested special arrangements for Kannadigas as the Romanian border is getting crowded.

    Till now 49 students of Karnataka have returned from Ukraine. Over the last few days, Indian nationals are being evacuated on flights from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania– countries that share borders with Ukraine.

    The Union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India, SpiceJet and Indigo as part of the Operation Ganga mission.

    As part of ‘Operation Ganga’ on Tuesday, the seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania’s Bucharest. After the special flights reached Mumbai and New Delhi, the evacuees are being facilitated to reach their respective states, where local administration is helping them to reach their homes. 

  • More airlines join in, ministers on evac mission

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: More Indian airlines have joined the evacuation exercise to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. IndiGo, Spicejet and AI Express said they will be operating flights from Delhi to Budapest and Bucharest as part of the mission.

    “We are closely liaising with the government to offer our support for more such evacuations flights,” IndiGo said. Similarly, SpiceJet will operate a special evacuation flight that will fly to Budapest from Delhi and the return fight will operate via Kutaisi, Georgia. 

    In a meeting on Monday chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India decided to send four Union ministers to Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to coordinate the evacuation efforts. While Hardeep Puri will head to Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia will go to Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju to Slovakia and General V K Singh to Poland.

  • Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren seeks Amit Shah’s intervention for safe return of stranded people from Ukraine

    By PTI

    RANCHI: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday sought the Centre’s immediate intervention for the safe return of people who are stranded in strife-torn Ukraine.

    In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the chief minister also shared a list of persons from Jharkhand stuck in the crisis-hit country.

    The letter read, “Estimated 20,000 Indians including 18,000 students are believed to be stranded in Ukraine. My office is constantly being approached by the relatives of those persons from Jharkhand who are stuck in Ukraine during war times. They are in a state of panic and horror and compelled to move with limited stock of essential provisions to makeshift safety places like underground metro rail lines.

    “I feel we must reach out to them in this hour of crisis and make best possible efforts to evacuate them back home.”

    Soren requested the Home Minister to instruct officials concerned of the Government of India to make necessary arrangements to facilitate the quick evacuation of Jharkhand students stuck in Ukraine.

    “Till such time they could be accommodated in safe places with an adequate supply of essentials,” the letter read.

    An official with the state control room said, till 5 pm on Saturday, the Jharkhand government had managed to trace 86 students from the state stuck in Ukraine.

    “We are revising the list and a fresh one will be released by Sunday evening,” the official said.

    The chief minister had also announced that the state government would reimburse travel expenses of all Jharkhand residents who are stranded and returning on their own cost from crisis-hit Ukraine.