LUCKNOW: It was a huge sigh of relief for the 700 students from India trapped in the war-ravaged Sumy city in east Ukraine just 50 km from the Russian border as they were evacuated on Tuesday after a dreadful ordeal lasting for 13 days during which they, at times, even had lost hope of surviving.
The families of Indian students stuck in Sumy, which has been witnessing intense fighting, told TOI that their wards were safe and would be boarding flights to India soon.
Shruti Mishra, elder sister of Kriti Mishra from Kanpur, told TOI that all the students were taken in buses arranged by the Indian embassy to Poltava in central Ukraine. “They were served tea, biscuits and food. Now, they will be taken out of Ukraine and will board flights to India from Hungary and Romania,” she said.
A student from UP, who wished not to be quoted, told TOI, “We heaved a sigh of relief when our bus reached Poltava. I once thought it was the end for us and I would never be able to meet my parents again.” The evacuation of Indian students started almost 48 hours after assurances from the authorities and Russia’s decision to allow a humanitarian corridor from four cities.
