VELLORE: After she heard a big explosion a few blocks from her apartment in Kyiv, Lithiyal Shanmugam (22) was uncertain if she would return home alive. Our apartment was shaking from the impact of the missile attack, the fifth-year student from Kyiv Medical University recalls.
On February 24--the first day of the war-- a siren went off at around 6 am. It was a warning for residents to evacuate buildings and find shelter in bunkers. As the Russians invaded Ukraine, Lithiyal and her friends hid in a bunker over the span of four days.
"During those four days, we had no idea how we were going to find a way out of this. We were afraid. There were moments we felt completely shattered," Lithiyal explained. We were given two hours to buy food supplies and amid the mad rush, we managed to stock them up, the medico explained.
The students were in constant touch with the Indian embassy on Twitter and Facebook. The embassy instructed them to reach the border for evacuation. After the announcement, thousands of students rushed to the Poland border, which is closer to Kyiv, and many were stranded as a result of overcrowding.
"We had only one option to leave the country, which was to reach Slovakian border. It is more than 1000 kilometres from Kyiv," Lithiyal said. On February 28, along with other students, Lithiyal hired a cab from the bunker to the railway station. Only railway networks were operational because the Ukraine military destroyed roads and bridges to stop the advancement of the Russian ground force, she said.
The student recalled, "We rode on hope with Indian flags in our hands. The military was checking vehicles the entire way and we were worried as many vehicles were sent back to the city." When she reached the railway station, all hope seemed lost with huge crowds desperately awaiting a train. The first train was overcrowded and the second train, which came three hours later, was no relief but we had no other choice, Lithiyal said.
Some of us found a space to sit while others stood; we exchanged places during the 10 hour-long journey to Lviv, she said, adding they booked a bus with the help of travel agents to the Slovakian border via Uzhhorod, a city in the western Ukraine.
On March 1, they reached the border and stayed there for about four days as the embassy was making arrangements to help evacuate stranded students, Lithiyal told TNIE. Recalling the long journey home, she said she was grateful.
On March 5, Lithiyal and her friends flew to Delhi from Slovakia and then reached Chennai the following day. She finally reached home to Tirupathur on March 7.
Shanmugam, Lithiyal's father, told TNIE, "Our family was worried about Lithiyal. During her stay, we could not sleep and eat properly. When I heard the news that she was out of the country, I was happy. On behalf of my family, I would like to thank the Central and State governments for their efforts."