Hyderabad: A Karnataka youth studying in Kharkiv was killed today marking first death of an Indian in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, a 4th-year student of Kharkiv National Medical College, was killed in a Russian strike when was out trying to buy some food Tuesday morning. ETV Bharat had an exclusive conversation with Lavkesh, a classmate of the deceased Naveen, to gain an insight into the worsening situations there.
"Naveen was just out to buy some groceries in the morning at around 8:30 am when he was killed. He had done nothing to be attacked or killed, he was standing in the queue. The condition of Indian students living in the area is pathetic. It has been a day since we have eaten anything properly," said Lavkesh. He described how he had been terrified after seeing Russian tanks on the streets around his college campus, though he had no idea that they would cause such grave damage.
"The entre university campus is in ruins. We can't breathe properly, there are clouds of smoke hovering. I am currently living in a 10-floor building, but we mostly stay in the bunker. I have come here just to get some water and other basic things," he said while giving a glimpse of the campus from he window of his apartment. "I will go back to the bunker soon, it's a risk to stay here as the shelling is unpredictable," he said.
"We have to sleep under the bed if at all we sleep here. We cannot shoot videos in the bunker - the Ukranians don't let us do that," he said. He further said that the Russian border is just 60 kms away from where he is living. "There are two other students with me who are from Punjab, We have been desperately trying to leave but we unfortunately did not get a chance yet," he said. Lavkesh appealed to the Government of India to evacuate him and others as soon as possible.
