Indian students in Ukraine face uncertain future amidst Russia-Ukraine crisis

Dhanunjay, who is from Andhra Pradesh, along with several other Indian students is currently attending offline classes in the university. "If we go back home, we will miss our classes and it will affect our grades," Dhanunjay says. Seeking a solution, he has been trying to reach out to the Indian embassy in Ukraine.

He explains, "Several students, including me, have written emails to the embassy requesting them to speak to universities so that online classes can be conducted and we can go home. But so far, no such action has been taken by the embassy."

Another Indian student in Ukraine, P. Kishore, explains that the conflict has been going on since November last year. "The conflict and the possibility of a war is in the news. In Ukraine, on the ground level there is no tension at all," Kishore says adding that the news is still scaring everyone.

A few days ago, the US White House had said Russia could invade Ukraine at any time and that American citizens should leave immediately.

"The Indian government had asked us to fill forms without contact details on 23 January. We filled the forms but haven't heard anything from them," Dhanunjay says.

Indian students in Ukraine say the local news is saying thousands of Russian troops are at the border, ready to attack at any time. The White House also said that an invasion would likely begin with aerial bombing. Students are hearing rumours that Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, would be the first to face attacks and invasions. Additionally, Moscow has repeatedly denied any plans to invade Ukraine.

"I am not sure what to do in this situation. The US government and several other governments are asking their citizens to come home. But the Indian government has not made any such announcement," says Kishore.

Sanjay Rawat, a representative of the Indian embassy in Ukraine, said they are closely monitoring the situation. "We have requested all Indian citizens in Ukraine to keep a watch on our official websites for any updates. The Indian government is currently processing a set of guidelines to be issued," he said. He also said that there is no need to panic at the moment and that very few people (locals and foreigners) are vacating Ukraine.

The Russia-Ukraine crisis stems from persisting tensions of the 2014 Russo-Ukrainian war. Since March last year, Russia has covertly been amassing an alarming number of soldiers, military equipment, and war machinery near its border with Ukraine, which has made the country concerned about a potential invasion. This concern was shared by a number of geopolitical stakeholders, including the United States and other global peacekeeping organizations. In December 2021, Russia requested Ukraine to withhold itself from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), along with reducing the military resources NATO has stationed in Eastern Europe. NATO has since refused these demands, while the USA warned of economic sanctions in case Russia shows any actions of annexation. The US government's announcements regarding invasion are what has stoked fear amongst citizens there.