Indian students stuck in Ukraine, families concerned about security

As Russian troops push further into Ukraine's territory, ETV Bharat spoke to family members of the students trapped in the war-torn country.

New Delhi:As Russian troops push toward Ukraine's capital, New Delhi has a huge concern, the safe return of its 20,000 Indian students trapped in Ukraine. What is the government doing about it? asks relatives of countless students stuck in the war-torn country.

Talking to ETV Bharat, Manpreet Singh whose nephew is stuck in Ivano, says that the crisis is real and that his family is deeply worried. He said "The crisis in Ukraine is real. We are deeply worried. Yesterday, a missile was dropped near my nephew's place and since then we haven't been able to contact them".

Even as the situation in Ukraine worsens, Manpreet says that neither the Ukrainian embassy in New Delhi nor the Indian Embassy in Ukraine has "offered a genuine solution to our crisis".

Family members of students who are now trapped in Ukraine have been standing outside the Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi since Friday morning and have been looking for some kind of assurances from the officials.

One of them is Om Mishra, whose brother Anurag Mishra is trapped in Ukraine. He told ETV Bharat, "I am extremely worried about my brother." He spoke with his brother on Thursday night and was told that he and his friends were hiding in the basement of a Metro. He said no one is informing the family of any updates or the steps taken.

The Indian Embassy in Ukraine issued three advisories yesterday and called for peace and said that the students trapped in Ukraine should stay put for now as martial law has been imposed and air space has been shut down.

Prime Minister Modi yesterday held a telephonic conversation with Russian President Putin and conveyed that India's biggest priority is the safety of Indian Nationals studying in Ukraine.

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