Though students from Sumy State University in Ukraine get an assurance from the Indian Embassy that they will be evacuated soon, going to bunkers when they hear air raid sirens have become commonplace for them.
The students, who have been spending the last few days with scarce water and frequent power cuts, revealed how they spend their time in the bunker for hours amid the chaos that has gripped the city and country at large.
"While escaping to the bunker there's a realisation that we might not be getting out until the next day. So, in that case, we bring food, drinks, and other essentials so that everyone can munch on something and don't sleep hungry down here," said Jasmine Thomas, a student from Sumy University who added that "presence of Russian Saboteurs in the city has made it Institute blackouts in the evening as they can target civilian buildings."
"I usually come down to the bunker and watch movies that I have downloaded, while others chit-chat, some sleep as they were not able to the night before due to the constant threat of being attacked," said another student from the university. According to the students, they also sometimes go on "Instagram Lives" and interact with their family and friends if their mobile network has no issues.
"Our hostel authorities make sure that we are comfortable and see to it that we are not going out of the place for even the most minute reason. They also spend time with us in the bunker which gives us a sense of relief," said a student named Saumya Joseph.
Students from the Bogomolets National Medical University who have made their way back home told the Free Press Journal that even their ordeal in the bunker, which lasted for hours, wasn't without its challenges. "Students fainted in the shelter due to reasons that can be attributed to suffocation or humidity as we all were cramped in an already small space. We had to make sure that our peers are feeling well and not feeling uneasy in the environment we were in," said Aryan Chaudhary, a student studying at the university which is situated in the capital Kyiv. "Many of us are also video game enthusiasts so we used to play them when air raid sirens forced us to go downstairs," said the student who reached India from Hungary as a part of the evacuation process by the Centre.
In a video message on Friday, a large group of students in Sumy could be seen standing in the snow, packed and ready to leave. They were holding several Indian flags. "Since morning, we have been constantly listening to boarding, shelling, and street fights. We are afraid, we have waited a lot and we can't wait anymore. We are risking our lives and moving towards the border. If anything happens to us, all the responsibility will be of the government and the Indian embassy. If anything happens to anyone, Mission Ganga will be the biggest failure," one of the students says in the video.
