Ukraine crisis: Indian student dies in Kharkiv shelling

An Indian student lost his life in a shelling in Kharkiv, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Tuesday. The victim, Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, is a 21-year-old medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University and is from Karnataka.

No one from the Indian Embassy reached out to stranded Indian students in Kharkiv in Ukraine, where a Karnataka native pursuing medicine was killed in shelling amid a Russian military offensive, the victim's father alleged on Tuesday.

Naveen was killed when he stepped out of his bunker to exchange currency and fetch some food, his uncle Ujjanagouda claimed.


The boy's father Gyanagoudar complained that no one from the Indian embassy reached the students stuck in Kharkiv, which is witnessing hostilities. His family members said Naveen was in the fourth year of his course in the Kharkiv medical college.

Ujjanagouda said Naveen along with others from Karnataka was stuck in a bunker in Kharkiv. He had gone out in the morning to exchange currency and to fetch some food when he was caught shelling happened, in which he was killed instantaneously.

On Tuesday when he rang up his father, Naveen said there was no food and water in the bunker, Ujjanagouda stated.

"With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family," Bagchi tweeted.

"Foreign Secretary is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones. Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine," he said.


Meanwhile, news agency ANI reported that as many as seven flights will land in Delhi tomorrow carrying stranded Indians from Ukraine under Operation Ganga. A total of nine flights have already brought back stranded Indian nationals from Ukraine.

The union government has deployed around 20 flights from Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, and Spice Jet. Apart from these airlines, the Airforce has also been asked to evacuate Indians from the neighbouring countries of Ukraine.

(With agency inputs)