THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Around 700 Indian students of Sumy State University in Ukraine, who had planned to undertake the huge risk of walking 50 km through the war front to the Russian border, have deferred the move. This, after the Indian embassy promised their safe evacuation soon and urged them to stay put in the university for the time being.
"We were at our wit's end when we came to know that evacuation of Indians from all other parts of Ukraine, except Sumy, was progressing. We felt we were abandoned. In such a stage, taking the huge risk was the only option before us," said Niranjana Santhosh, a medical student who hails from Thrissur.
The video message, in which Niranjana and other students announced their plan to walk to the border, had gone viral on Saturday, prompting the Indian Embassy to intervene urgently.
"It was also the news of the ceasefire that prompted us to head to the Russian border. But as we prepared to move, we could hear loud blasts and gunfire from afar. This convinced us that the fighting was still on," she added.
Meanwhile, a group of around 150 Nigerian students paid through the nose to arrange buses to the border. But they were stopped just a few kilometres from Sumy by the Ukrainian forces, the students said.
Meanwhile, the fighting eased a bit on Sunday and the students were able to spend some time out of the bunkers. The university has now arranged a tanker that would provide drinking water in limited quantities every morning to the students.
"We are still huddled together, with our bags packed and ready for an evacuation anytime, as promised by the Indian embassy. Maybe it's our medical education background that has given us the mental strength to endure these hardships. But the big question is: for how long can we hold on," said Raifa Fatima, a fifth-year student of the university.
Meanwhile, a direction from Indian Embassy to the students on Sunday to fill up registration forms has raised hopes of an imminent evacuation from the war-torn country.