Russia-Ukraine conflict: Panicky Indian students living in basements amid fears of power, water crisis

Ukraine is in the middle of an unforeseeable crisis since the Russian assault on its territories. With over 20,000 Indians stranded in Ukraine, most of them students, the shadow of uncertainty has been looming over India as well.

Desperate students have been trying to catch a flight back home, but with little success as Ukraine’s airspace is shut. Many have been lining up at the Indian embassy in Ukraine too amid a flurry of calls from anxious parents.

Some universities have been making arrangements in the basements of their campuses for the students to stay. Though crammed, these basements are the only hope for students now. Sumy State University is one such Ukrainian institute that has arranged chairs in the basement of its hostels.

Students here have been asked to carry with them only essentials such as food and passports, and stay together. They have been instructed not to venture out unless it’s an emergency, and carry their passports, student ID cards and other documents in such a situation.

The video that you see here has been sent to us by Zia Baluni, an Indian student at Sumy State University. One student can be heard dictating the university rules to others present around him. This university is near Luhansk, the scene of intense fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

Zia told us that university authorities have warned them of a water crisis. Tensed students have since been trying to arrange drinking water for themselves.

The situation in similar in other universities as well. Dr Sushant Shitole has been studying in Ukraine’s Kharkiv National Medical University since December 8, 2021. He has been holed up inside the campus along with his friends since hostilities broke out and an alert issued.