Ukraine-Russia war: 3 flights to bring back 600 students from Sumy
Premium- The Indian students, who were stuck in Sumy, boarded a special train from Poltava to reach Lviv, and from there they took another train to reach Poland earlier today.
To bring back the last big group of 600 students evacuated from Ukraine's Sumy, India will operate three flights on Thursday. The students, who were stranded in the Northeastern city, boarded a special train from Poltava to reach Lviv, and from there they took another train to reach Poland earlier today.
According to the details shared by the students with PTI, three flights will be operated between 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm (local time) from the Rzeszow airport in Poland to bring them back.
The first flight at 4.30 pm (9 pm IST) is for first, second and third year students. The second flight at 5.30 pm (10.30 pm IST) is for fourth and fifth year students and the third at 6.30 pm (11.30 pm IST) is for students with pets, fifth and sixth year students and for any other students who may have been left behind.
Covering hundreds of miles across Ukraine, using multiple means of transport, the students were evacuated from the war-hit east European country after their two weeks of excruciating stay in beleaguered Sumy. The evacuation of Indian students started on Tuesday morning.
Last week, reports claimed that over 600 hundred students were stranded in Ukraine's northeastern city Sumy. The students claimed there was an acute shortage of food and water and they hoped to be evacuated from the city. Considering Sumy lies in the northeastern peninsula of Ukraine, it was difficult for them to travel to the western border, from where they could reach neighbouring Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Moldova, from where the evacuation was happening. Meanwhile, the government also uttered ‘concerns' regarding Sumy.
"The border in Ukraine's western part is located almost 1,500 kms away from Sumy, whereas the Russian border is just 50 kms away. The railway station in Sumy has also been closed due to bombing, and traveling via road is like committing suicide since Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting against each other at such places," a student had told PTI in an earlier report.
(With inputs from agencies)
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