A Peek Into Operation To Evacuate Indians Caught in Russia-Ukraine War

The death of an Indian student – Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar – in Kharkiv on 1 March has brought home the escalating crisis unfolding in Ukraine.

Naveen, a fourth-year student of forensic science at Kharkiv National Medical University, had stepped out of a bunker to buy groceries and was in the queue at the local supermarket when Russian shelling began, reportedly targeting the governor’s house in Kharkiv.

More than 5,000 people, including military personnel and civilians, have lost their lives as the Russian invasion entered its sixth day on Wednesday, 2 February.

Other than the geopolitical crisis created out of Russia’s aggression, the invasion has also resulted into a major humanitarian crisis with more than 800,000 people already having fled Ukraine. And for India, the war has unfolded into a crisis in the form of thousands of stranded citizens, mainly students, who are stuck in cities across Ukraine.

For the past week, uncertainty on leaving Ukraine has been a constant for any person trying to flee the country, with visuals on social media showing long lines of vehicles stuck in traffic on their way to nearest western border and some even braving the cold to make the journey on foot along with their belongings.

At present, there are nearly 20,000 Indians living in Ukraine and as tensions escalate in Kharkiv and Kyiv, among other cities, the Indian government accelerated evacuations under Operation Ganga. The Indian Air Force has also been tapped in to help with the evacuations.

But there are still thousands of students stranded across the country as Russia forces advance.

In today’s episode, we bring voices of some of those caught in the war. You will also hear from Nitesh Singh, a founding member of Team SOS India, an organisation helping Indians in Ukraine.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram

Editor: Saundarya Talwar

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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