With no water, medicine, condition of Indian students in Ukraine worsens

The ripple effect of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine has begun to hit the health of Indian students stuck in the war-hit country who don't have access to drinking water or medicines. The Indian medical students stranded in Sumy, Kharkiv and Kyiv told mid-day that no facility is being provided by the embassies and they are reeling under constant fear of losing their lives.

Most of the students are hiding in bunkers where the mobile network is poor. Assam resident Mahrukh Nigar, who is stuck in a hostel of a medical college in Sumy, told mid-day that most of the girl students are running short of sanitary pads and calcium tablets.

"I regularly take calcium tablets. But today I don't have a single tablet of calcium. My knees are paining. Also, my haemoglobin level is between 9 and 10, I am feeling so weak day by day," said Nigar, who hails from Guwahati district.

"Above all, most of us are running short of sanitary pads but we can't think of moving out to buy from nearby stores as armed men are seen walking around our hostel and the surrounding areas are heavily bombed," she said.

Mohammed Faisal from Bihar said they are left with a handful of soda bottles

Nigar said that the girls have pulled out pieces from old bedsheets to use them as sanitary pads. "We know it is unhygienic but we are helpless. And every girl is having a different menstrual flow…so their clothes get stained and it is very embarrassing. But we can't help it," Nigar added.

There are hundreds of Indian students stuck with no food and water at their medical college hostels. "During peaceful days, we used to buy a jar of drinking water. But, now, there is no drinking water at the hostel. We cannot afford to drink the tap as it could cause typhoid," said Mohammad Faisal, who is a native of Bihar and is stuck among hundreds of students at a hostel in Sumy.

"We are forced to take soda water to quench our thirst. But it gives us a burning sensation while passing urine. I know it is not healthy to use soda water but there is no option…our priority is to keep ourselves safe and sound so that we can reach our country safely," Faisal told mid-day.

"There are a few students who have already started to drink tap water; they are coughing and it could be a health alarm," he said.

Faisal added that most of the time they are starving. His friend Mehak Shaikh said, "We all are scared after the death of an Indian student in the gun battle. We have learnt that the Russian forces are humiliating people who are crossing the border. They are playing a Hunter Game with the non-Ukrainians who are eager to leave the country."

Taxi drivers looting students

Mehak said taxi drivers are taking advantage of the situation. "The taxi drivers are stopping the vehicle mid-way and looting people and leaving them stranded on the road," Mehak said, "It is the reason we have decided to stay here inside the bunker."

Mehak added, "I peeped through the window and saw many armed men around. I can't think of stepping out." Faisal and his friends are terrified to see their physics teacher pick up arms to fight against Russian forces.

"Maxym Kolesnyk would teach us physics in college. But after the government asked citizens to pick up weapons to fight against Russian forces, he joined the Ukrainian force. I was shocked to see him with a deadly weapon," Faisal told mid-day.

He added, "Here, people who ride bicycles are considered among the lowest strata of society. But a few days ago, I saw a rag picker holding two AK-47s and he was riding a bicycle… can you imagine?"

When asked if any non-Ukrainian, including any Indian student, has also picked up a gun to safeguard themselves, another student Utkarsh Singh said, "A foreign national will have to surrender his/her passport to pick up a deadly weapon to fight the Russian forces. I have heard that they will also be given Ukrainian citizenship for showing this demeanour."

Maxym Kolesnyk, a physics professor who has picked up a gun to fight the Russians

Singh was stuck in Ternopil from where he reached Romania recently. "The Ukrainian forces used pepper spray at the border to disperse the mob. They also trained a gun at us as people desperately wanted to cross the border," said Singh, who added that he had to wait for 30 hours to cross the border and reach Romania.

"All the roads in Ukraine are heavily bombed. The Government of India must airlift all the fellow citizens from the restive zone of Ukraine," Singh added.

Families suffering, too

Many students who do not wish to be named told mid-day that their parents and close relatives are in huge tension. "Our parents are in tension and if we come on record to narrate our ordeal, my parents will be in huge shock," said a female student, a Kalbadevi resident. "My friend's mother had to be hospitalised after she learnt that our lives are in danger. My mom is also very unwell," said another medical student, who is the only son of his parents.

Many students told mid-day that most of their time is spent inside a bunker where there is no washroom. "We have to hold the pressure but there is no way out to move to the washroom as one bombshell could be devastating," said Faisal. His friend Mehak said, "All the huge pipelines are there in the bunker. And god forbid, if one bomb is thrown at the pipeline, the high water pressure would kill us. The bunkers are messy. We can't even breathe properly. So, whenever we get time we go upstairs. Come what may happens!"

‘Funny bones' is angry man

After the physics professor, who his students dubbed him as ‘funny bones', shared his gun-toting photograph on Facebook, hundreds of people lauded his effort and commented: ‘God take care, everything will be fine,' ‘Thank you for your courage. Feeling proud. God bless you,' ‘Glory to Ukraine, save you God,' ‘Sumy Guerrilla Republic,' ‘Thank you,' ‘May the lord protect,' ‘Godfather we are with you! Thank you for protecting us!!,' ‘Thank you Maxim!! Keep safe out there guys!! Remember that they are waiting for you at home,' ‘Be careful! We are praying for all of you!' ‘Victory. Take care of yourself,' ‘A low bow,' ‘Max! we are proud! Thoughts are with you! Make it back alive. And with the victory.'