Atleast 100 from Assam, out of around 20,000 Indian students stranded in Russian invasion-hit Ukraine

Feb. 24: With Russia launching a military operation against Ukraine on Thursday, nearly 20,000 Indian students are still stranded at war-hit Ukraine. Majority of them are medical students. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday informed that around 100 students from the state are currently stranded in Russian invasion-hit Ukraine.

The Chief Minister called up the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and raised concerns over the security of the students. “We are also in touch with the students from Assam, who are left stranded in Ukraine,” said the Chief Minister.

Earlier on Thursday, India had arranged evacuation of its citizens from Ukraine, but had to suspend the mission after the Ukrainian government shut down its airspace following the Russian aggression. The parents of nearly 20,000 Indian students are desperately trying to figure out how to get their wards home and also stay in touch while the students remain stranded in the conflict zone, according to the external affairs ministry.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry said its first day of the Ukraine invasion had achieved all its goals and that it had destroyed 83 land-based Ukrainian targets. Ukrainian police said Russia had carried out 203 attacks since the beginning of the day.