An Indian student was killed in shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family.
We convey our deepest condolences to the family.
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) March 1, 2022
“With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Manoj Rajan on Tuesday said that the Indian student, who lost his life in Kharkiv this morning due to shelling in the area, has been identified as Naveen Shekharappa from Chalageri village of Haveri district in Karnataka.
"Foreign Secretary is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones," Bagchi further stated..
The Indian Embassy in Kyiv issued a fresh advisory on Tuesday saying: “All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," tweeted.
The advisory was posted hours after satellite images emerged showing a long convoy of Russian military vehicles on roads northwest of Kyiv. Hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles towing artillery guns can be seen in the images released by a US-based space technology company.
There were around 20,000 Indian students in Ukraine out which 8,000 have been flown back home, the MEA said on Monday.
Several Indian students remain stuck in eastern parts of Ukraine, which is most affected by the Russian military operation, and they are finding it difficult to travel by road to reach the western borders.
On Monday, the Indian embassy had asked students to go to the railway station in Kyiv, where special evacuation trains have been arranged by Ukraine to take people to the western region. The students were asked to carry their passport, enough cash and proper warm clothing.
Indian students are being moved to Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, nations which share borders with Ukraine, from where they are being flown back to India under Operation Ganga.
Russia started military operations against Ukraine on Thursday morning after months of tension over the former Soviet republic's proximity to NATO.
Also read: PM Modi reviews Operation Ganga to expedite return of Indian students from Ukraine
