'I woke up to the sound of bombing': Indian student stranded in Eastern Ukraine

Indian students stranded in a bunker in war-torn Ukraine`s Sumy region. Photo: Kriti Mishra

As the world watches Russia's invasion of Ukraine, foreign nationals stuck in the war torn country are scrambling for safe passages, and waiting to return to India. A shortage of cash and essential supplies, including food and medicines, has been widely reported as Ukraine imposes curfews amid Russian bombardment. Here in India, thousands of families restlessly await the return of their children. Mid-day spoke to Kriti Mishra, a medical student stuck in Eastern Ukraine, and her sister who's trying to seek help from authorities in India.

24-year old Kriti Mishra is a 6th year medical student at the Sumy State University. Along with 800 Indian students, Mishra is currently stranded in Sumy, a city located 40 kilometers from the Russian border in Eastern Ukraine, which is facing the brunt of the Russian offence. In addition to air strikes and bombardment, street fights have broken out in the city as locals try to defend themselves from the Russian army. Sounds of gunshots can be heard incessantly, as guerilla warfare-type situations have arisen across the city. "I spent last night at a bunker - which is muddy and doesn't have any sanitation facilities - which many of us have been using for days now. Early in the morning, I came back to my apartment to finally catch some sleep but within two hours I woke up to the sound of bombing," shares Mishra.

Her family, based out of Kanpur, had been monitoring the situation in Ukraine for several weeks. They have been trying to secure help for her by reaching out to the authorities in India but there has been no respite for them. "We had been closely observing the grim developments in Ukraine since January. But we never thought Russia would actually invade Ukraine. After the government-issued advisory on February 15 stating that all Indian citizens whose presence is non-essential must leave, we spoke to my sister and asked her to enquire if her university will allow online classes. On the same day, we spoke to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India. They pacified us once we told them that Kriti had to stay in Ukraine to complete her degree. We asked them to pressure the universities to offer remote classes, to which they said they are in talks," says her sister Shikha Mishra.

Kriti Mishra's final exams were scheduled to take place in April. After her university refused to offer online classes, she had no choice but to stay back because returning would have meant forgoing her degree on which she had spent six years. "It was a matter of two months, and none of the other students were leaving. I thought I cannot ruin my career, after all there has been tension between the two nations for years, but not even Ukrainians believed that war was on the horizon," recounts the 24 year-old student.

Her family started checking flights to India and was shocked to find them exponentially expensive, ranging from Rs 65,000 to Rs 1,20,000. They tried bringing it to the attention of the Indian Embassy, and even contacted several media houses, but nobody responded. Eventually, on February 22, Mishra's university allowed foreign students to take online classes, but provided no clarity on the ultimate exam. "The Embassy took a week to facilitate something as minor as online classes even when early signs of distress were visible. We immediately booked a flight to depart on March 2," shares Mishra.

However, they were blindsided by the Russian attack. "We weren't prepared for the military assault to strike on February 24. Many students didn't have money or food supplies. I cannot even withdraw money," admits Mishra. Sumy's proximity to the Russian border means that there is a heavy presence of Russian troops who pass through the city. To restrict their advance, bridges leading out of the city have been damaged - an act that has impacted civilian movement as well.

Her family has been making calls to the MEA every day and reaching out to official helpline numbers but Kriti and those stranded with her have failed to establish contact with authorities in Ukraine. "Every time we call the MEA, they note down all the details but nothing happens. This has become a repetitive back and forth process which is yet to yield any results. Those who answered the phone didn't even know where Sumy was, or how many Indian students were stuck there till a few days back. The absence of on-ground support has been distressing, as students have been left to fend for themselves," reveals Shikha Mishra.

There is a sense of hopelessness that has enveloped the family, and their desperation is evident in the plea of Kriti's sister, "She was in a bunker all night and woke up to the sound of a bomb blast. We are afraid for her safety. Every time we speak, we can hear gunshots. Can you imagine the kind of psychological trauma we are all going through? We have even started communicating via text messaging, so that we don't break down when we speak to her, because it is she who has to survive this. We are putting in all our best efforts possible, and knocking on all doors. My mother is in Noida just in case she needs to visit the MEA in New Delhi. We are pleading with the government to rescue students stranded in Ukraine."