Nearly 400 Indian Students Hiding In Basement In Eastern Side Of Ukraine, Appeal Indian Govt For Help

The students, most of whom are from studying in the Sumy State Medical University said that they fear for their safety as they can hear gunshots can be heard outside.

Ukraine's president said 137 died on the first day of fighting against Russian invaders. (AFP Photo)

New Delhi: About 400 Indian students have taken shelter in a basement in Ukraine's Sumy city bordering Russia which has been taken over by Russian forces. The students have appealed to the Indian government to evacuate them, PTI reported.

Sumy in northeastern Ukraine is about 50 miles from the Russian border. The city mayor surrendered to Russian forces on Thursday.

The students, most of whom are from studying in the Sumy State Medical University said that they fear for their safety as they can hear gunshots can be heard outside. The students also shared short videos of the basement they are hiding in.

"Right now, we are hiding in the basement of our dormitory. We do not know if this basement is enough for us to survive. We urge the Indian government to try to evacuate us from the eastern side of Ukraine," Lalit Kumar, one of the students, told PTI.

"Travelling on our own is not possible. Martial law has been imposed here and that means no outing, no cars, no buses and no private vehicle can travel. ATMs and supermarkets are also not working," he added.

Kumar, a fifth-year student, said they have limited supplies.

"We do not have enough supplies here to continue. The Indian government is our last hope... we want go to our motherland and see our loved ones. Kindly help us," he said in a message.

Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine on Wednesday night. Russia has launched multiple attacks on several areas in central and eastern Ukraine.

During a media briefing on Thursday, India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla assured all Indian citizens, including students, in Ukraine and their family members that the government will take all possible steps to bring them back safe and sound.

He said there were around 20,000 Indians in Ukraine and of them, nearly 4,000 have returned to India in the last few days.