HYDERABAD: Hundreds of Indian students, who have been stranded in five international hostels in Sumy of Ukraine, still do not have drinking water, food and power supply, according to reports reaching here.
Though the Russian external ministry announced a ceasefire for five-and-a-half hours on Saturday, there was no proper response from authorities in shifting the students stuck in Sumy and Kharkiv.
Lokesh, an MBBS student, staying in the international hostel in Sumy, said they had been waiting for 10 days for assistance. “Every day, we hope for a new advisory from the embassy and now we have decided to leave for the border,” he said. "We have been stranded for 10 days and the situation has worsened due to lack of food and drinking water. We request the embassy officials to shift us from Russian borders," Lokesh requested.
An Indian student, Mahtab, said they were still in a pathetic situation in Sumy. Even though the Russian armed forces declared ceasefire, there was shelling near Sumy and the students are under the grip of fear. "Around 800-900 Indians are waiting for help. Today, four explosions took place in Sumy, close to the hostels where Indian students are living," Mahtab said.
The embassy officials said they were exploring all possible mechanisms to evacuate Indian citizens in Sumy, safely and securely.
Meanwhile, officials identified at least 298 Indian students in Pisochyn, a region near Kharkhiv. They provided buses to shift the students from the region. At least 184 Telugu students arrived in New Delhi from Romania on Saturday. Telugu students were shifted to the AP and the Telangana Bhavans in Delhi and later shifted them to their native places.
