30 students from Mysuru stranded in Ukraine

Shilpa P. | NT

As the war rages in Ukraine, families of the 30 people from Mysuru including at least 10 students, are hoping their wards are safe.

“Had the war started a day later, our daughter Aisiri, doing her MBBS in Kyiv, would have been with us yesterday. She was to return by the Air India flight which was cancelled,” said Aisiri’s parents, Shivakumar and Geetha.

Raghavendra Y.V. too expressed anxiety about the safety of his brother, Arjun Vasanth, a 7th semester MBBS student at Sumy University in Ukraine.

“Had the war started a day later than it did, our daughter Aisiri who is pursuing MBBS in Kyiv in Ukraine, would have been with us in Mysuru safely by Thursday (Feb. 24) morning. She had made all the arrangements to return to India in the Air India flight which was scheduled to take off from Kyiv on Thursday, which was cancelled later.” These are the words from Aisiri’s parents in Mysuru, Shivakumar and Geetha.

She is one among the 30 persons from Mysuru, including at least 10 students pursuing MBBS in the war-torn Ukraine, who are stranded there. Anxiety is writ large on their faces as Russian warplanes are pounding Ukraine. The 30 are part of the total 346 people from Karnataka, who are stranded in the embattled country. Of these, at least 91 students are pursuing MBBS in Ukraine, according to Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority sources.

Twenty two-year old Aisiri is studying for her fourth year MBBS from Kyiv University. She had last come visiting home during Covid second wave, when she served as covid warrior at the Tulasidas Hospital, in the city. She left for Kyiv in June last year. Speaking to News Trail, the parent said, she is currently safe at the house of a family friend in Kyiv, and they are in constant touch with her over the phone. Meanwhile t h e y h ave m a d e a l l communications with Government authorities i n c l u d i n g the Indian Embassy to get their daughter back home safely.

Meanwhile, Raghavendra Y. V. alias Rohan, who owns an IT company in Mysuru also expressed his anxiety about the safety of his brother Arjun Vasanth, who is in 7th semester of MBBS from Sumy University at Sumy in Ukraine. “It is three and half years since my brother left for Ukraine, and he has not come home even once after that. His last exam for the 7th semester was scheduled for March 15, hence he could not plan to return home though the country was in the throes of preparations for the war. He is currently housed in a basement bomb shelter and is reported to be safe. We have been in constant touch with him. We are contacting all authorities possible, to get him back home safely, ” Raghavendra told News Trail. Arjun is the second son of Mr. Vasanthkumar, who owns a pharmacy business and Indiramma, a high school headmistress in Hassan.

Meanwhile, Mysuru DC Dr. Bagadi Gautam has asked people in Mysuru district to provide the details of their relatives in Ukraine to the district disaster management room via 0821-2423800/1077.