CHENNAI: As Russian forces marched into Ukraine early on Thursday and Kyiv closed its airspace for civilian flights, at least 5,000 Tamil Nadu students, stranded across the country, are worried about their safety.
Big explosions are being heard continuously in areas like Kyiv and Kharkiv, some Tamil students told TNIE, pleading for help to be evacuated immediately. Shri Ranjani, a fifth-year medical student at National Pigorov Medical University in Ukraine, had booked a flight ticket to India by paying Rs 65,000, but the flight has been cancelled. “We are hearing loud blasts and continuous sirens. The administration is asking all of us to stay inside,” said Ranjani.
Abhinaya Sivakumar, a Vellore native studying MBBS in Vinnytsia, said most of the students may soon run out of food. “There is no cash in ATMs. Locals are hoarding food. The situation is getting worse,” Abhinaya said, and added, “We tried calling the Indian embassy, but there was no response.”
Helpline numbers
The State government has appointed Jacintha Lazarus IAS as the State Nodal Officer for the evacuation of stranded Tamils in Ukraine. (Contact: 9445869848, 9600023645, 9940256444 and 044-28515288)