On Friday, an Indian student was shot with a bullet in the capital city of Ukraine and was hospitalized immediately in Kyiv amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The news was confirmed by the Minister of State (MoS) for Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) General VK Singh who said that the student is in the hospital and is being treated.
“A student from Kyiv was reported to have been shot and was immediately admitted to the hospital in Kyiv. The Indian embassy had earlier cleared on the priority that everyone should leave Kyiv. In the event of war, the gun bullet does not look at anyone’s religion and nationality,” he added.
According to the reports, the Indian students in Ukraine are making their way back to India safe via countries neighboring Ukraine. The Indian government is also making all the required efforts to rescue all the Indian nationals trapped in the war. Four Union Ministers, Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (Retd) VK Singh are looking into the evacuation efforts in the countries adjoining Ukraine.
Earlier one Indian national named Naveen from Karnataka was killed in shelling in Kharkiv. Kharkiv is a big Ukrainian city in the Eastern region where intense fighting has been going on between Russian and Ukrainian forces. The MEA had confirmed the news with deep sorrow and had demanded the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine for safe passage for Indian nationals from the conflict zones.
Nearly 20,000 Indian students, most studying medicine, were stuck in Ukraine amid the conflict. Out of the total number, 60% have already reached India and are safe. Efforts are being made to evacuate the balance 40% of the Indian nationals.
The Indian government has started an evacuation operation named ‘Operation Ganga’ for the stranded Indian students. Several special flights have been running from Poland, Romania, and Hungary to bring the students home. Around 200 more students and Indian citizens reached Delhi yesterday on a special Indigo flight.
Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, and SpiceJet have joined the Operation Ganga mission operating multiple flights from Ukraine’s neighboring countries to Delhi and Mumbai.