‘You’re on your own’: Airspace shut, Indians stuck in Ukraine seek immediate evacuation

Firoz Ahmad, 22, has been awake since 3 am, glued to his phone in his apartment in Odessa, Ukraine, watching the “darkest hours for Europe since World War Two” unfold.

Firoz is among hundreds of Indian students seeking the government’s help to return home as Russian forces launched military offensives in central and eastern Ukraine. As the Ukrainian government closed the airspace for civilian flights, the Indian embassy in Kyiv issued three advisories appealing for calm. The embassy said alternative arrangements were being made for the evacuation of Indians but did not provide any clarity.

With around 20,000 Indians stuck in Ukraine, a series of high-level meetings were also held to put in place contingency plans to assist the Indians. PM Narendra Modi also chaired a meeting of the cabinet committee on security.

However, students believe that the government has not taken timely measures.

“At this time, if the Indian government is focused on making money then we cannot tolerate this. I am an Indian citizen and I should have been able to afford the ticket fare at the very least,” said Firoz, who had booked a flight to India for March since the tickets were cheaper, but that has been canceled now. The Air India flight that had taken some 200 students back to India cost Rs 65,000 per ticket and he could not afford it.

Several other Indian students in Odessa have gathered in his apartment since they started hearing explosions, he told Newslaundry, with their travel documents and rations ready. “We are very scared. We haven’t slept since the explosions began. After the international flights were suspended…the Indians who had come from elsewhere were stranded and so they are with me in my apartment. As Indians we are each others’ comfort.”

Keeping himself occupied with updates from the embassy, media and his university, Firoz blamed the “delayed” and “unclear” advisory by the Indian Embassy in Ukraine for being stranded amid a war. “The embassy needs to take responsibility for the situation that has arisen. We are stuck here because the Indian government did not make a decision in time. If they would have told us to leave immediately, we would have. They have done this to us, and now need to get us out immediately whether it be via land, sea or air.”

In Vinnytsia, 438 km away, Muhammad Afridi Shoaib, 21, shares Firoz’s sentiment – he was supposed to catch a flight today but woke up to news about the airspace.

“My roommate had his flight before me so he had left for Kiev before I woke up. Since the flight was canceled, he was stuck in Kiev. I called the Indian embassy to get him out of the airport to a safe place since martial law had been imposed in the capital. The embassy just gave us their address, and told us to tell him to get there. There was no public transport available nor were any vehicles running, so I asked them to help. Their reply was, ‘We have told you how to get to the embassy, now you are on your own.’”

Afridi added that with the help of some Ukrainian colleagues and the university coordinators, he was able to get his roommate to a safe place at a hostel.

While there has been no shelling or explosions in Vinnytsia, Afridi said that there are sirens that go off every 10 minutes as part of the artillery drills by the Ukrainians. The sirens began at 9 am and had not stopped.

“I am not panicking,” Afridi said, “but there are people that I am constantly consoling. My single father who is in Patna, Bihar, is extremely worried about my safety, and other students and their families are also rightly concerned.”

About the situation outside his home, Afridi said that the shelves in the grocery stores are starting to empty out. Describing the scene in the grocery store he said, “There was panic all around. Ukrainians and Indians crying in the aisles as they stocked up on the essentials. I only got three packets of rice and wheat, that’s all. The locals are stocking up heavily.”

The situation was similar in Odessa, according to Firoz. “There are long lines at the ATMs which have no money, and at grocery stores that are fast running out of rations. Everytime we leave the apartment, there are more indications that the situation is going to get worse. The air is filled with sounds of bombs, and the locals here are saying that the pro-Russian groups in Odessa are getting active. So we are quite worried.”

Regarding the response from the Indian Embassy in Ukraine, Firoz and Afridi said that they had filled out a Google form sent out by the embassy that morning to let them know about their whereabouts. “We are keeping track of all the updates by the embassy. We are ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. We just want to get out.” Firoz said.

What do they need from the Indian government?

Afridi said, “India is my country so I expect my country to help me in this crisis. I think they will evacuate us but a little late because our embassy was the last one to issue an advisory. People all around me are crying, and at home my parents are crying. I know the situation is tense, but all we want is to be evacuated safely.”

Firoz said,“Right now we have gathered together and are keeping each other and our families calm. We are up to date with the advisories put up by the embassy and know the location of the bunkers near us. For now we are safe, but we need our government to help us immediately because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed the “grave situation” and how India could contribute to de-escalating the situation.

In its latest advisory, the Indian embassy said the movement of people is now difficult in Ukraine as it is under martial law and those hearing air sirens and bomb warnings should find nearby bomb shelters.

The Congress Thursday asked the government why it had not made arrangements in time to bring 20,000 Indian youths in Ukraine back home safely. Party leader Rahul Gandhi shared a video of an Indian student stuck in Ukraine and wrote, “The safety of 20,000 Indians stranded in Ukraine is paramount. Government must expedite their evacuation.”