After a day of uncertainty, a group of Indian students stranded in Kyiv finally boarded a train to Chernivtsi, closer to the Romania border, on Monday evening. “Until evening, there were three train services to help people leave the city, but we were not allowed to board. Local officials stopped us, and an embassy official at the station told us to wait. We were finally allowed to board the fourth train that left Kyiv at 5.15 pm,” said Fahad Rahman, a student from Kerala.

“We have to get off at Chernivtsi, and our consultant has informed us that they are trying to arrange special buses to take us to the Romania border for evacuation. Besides the 5.15 pm train, we were told there is another train at night, which would help more Indian students leave Kyiv,” said another student on the train.

Earlier in the day, after the Indian Embassy advised them to leave Kyiv by train as soon as possible, students left the bunkers and hurried to the railway station.

Meanwhile, Indian students stranded in Kharkiv have yet to receive any information about their evacuation. As heavy shelling continued for the fifth day in a row, they sought shelter in underground metro stations. “After spending five days continuously in the crowded underground metros, many of us are tired. Some are experiencing breathing difficulties. Around 1,000 people need to use a toilet. We have to fetch water from the hostel. Despite these challenges, we are staying strong,” said Sherin Fathima Siddique, a student.

Students mentioned that the curfew in Kharkiv was lifted for an hour on Monday to allow residents to stock up on supplies. “Due to frequent air strikes, we were scared to go to the hostel to cook food. As a result, we are surviving on snacks, biscuits, and water,” said another student.