Hyderabad: With Russian military forces advancing into Ukraine on Thursday, Telugu-speaking students, like those from other Indian states, who pursuing academics there are in a state of panic.
Around 20 Telugu students could reach the airport at the Ukrainain capital Kyiv. They are all pursuing MBBS in Zaporizhzhya State Medical University, including Sumanjali, Ramya Sri, N Srinidi and Likhitha.
On Thursday, An Air India flight was dispatched to Kyiv but it had to return midway because a no-fly zone was clamped on the airspace by the Ukrainian government.
The students blamed the college managements for not allowing them to leave for their native places earlier. Educational institutions never anticipated that Russia would go to war with Ukraine.
“The situation changed after Russian forces started bombing different places in Ukraine and captured several cities. We were asked to stay indoors and not to come out in any situation. We are all safe in the university campus,” said Rohith Chouhan from Hyderabad, an MBBS first term student at Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University. There are around 15 Telugu-speaking students in Ivano city, which is located around 600 km from Kyiv.
Rohith said that there was no war-like situation in the vicinity.
Another student, Pavan, said that Indian Embassy officials have released an advisory to educational institutions about the situation in Ukraine and asked students to leave to their native places. However, the university management remained aloof and stated that there were no directions for Indian students to leave Ukraine.
