Out of Sumy, nearly 700 Indian students heave a sigh of relief

Nearly 700 medical students who had been through hell for 13 days without food and water in Sumy amid intense bombings by Russia were taken to a safer place in Ukraine on Tuesday. "We moved out of Sumy at 9 am on buses and reached Poltava about 1.50 pm. We all were very frightened but equally excited during the journey," said Mohammad Faisal, a native of Bihar.

The student said authorities had arranged for about 75 buses for them. "We had been reeling under constant threat for 13 days but now we all took a sigh of relief. While heading to Poltava, I saw many devastating scenes, the roads were damaged, buildings were destroyed…there was total mayhem," said Faisal, who added that the buses had to cross several military bases.

Indian students get ready to board buses to Poltava, in Sumy, on Tuesday

Apart from students, the buses also ferried Ukrainian citizens. "We had prominently put Indian flags on the buses, so none of them disturbed us. We were told not to click photographs. All the students were asked to switch off their mobiles," he said.

"There was finally some good news. The students will be taken to a safe location from where they will be brought to India," said Anshad Ali, a student coordinator.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said 694 Indian students, who were stranded in Sumy, left for Poltava. The students will be taken to Romania where they will board home-bound flights.

Indian Students on their way to Poltava from Sumy on Tuesday. Pic/ANI

"We stood in a queue for three hours in freezing cold on Monday, waiting to board the buses and then, we were told that we cannot go. Thankfully, we left Sumi on Tuesday," said Aashiq Hussain Sarkar.

With Agency inputs

TN youth joins Ukranian army

A 21-year old youth from Coimbatore has enlisted with the Ukrainian army to fight against the Russian troops. The matter came to light when some central intelligence officials visited the house of Sainikesh Ravichandran in Thudiyalur to collect his details. The Indian Army had reportedly rejected Sainikesh twice due to his height. He had even approached the US consulate to join the American armed forces, but to no avail, police said.