Ukranian soldiers ill-treated us, say evacuated Rajasthan students

Jaipur: Indian students who returned here from Ukraine said the situation at the war-hit country’s border with Romania was horrific, with Ukranian soldiers thrashing Indians and firing tear gas shells.

The eight students who arrived here after fleeing the war-torn nation amid the intense Russian military offensive also accused the Indian embassy officials in Ukraine of not extending any support. Tina Kumari, a first year student in a medical university in Ukraine, said, ”Ukrainian soldiers were treating us very badly at the border. They were beating boys, firing tear gas shells and also bullets in the air. ”The gate was being opened for 10 minutes and just a couple of students could enter. There was no support from the Indian embassy in Ukraine or at the border.” The situation at the Ukraine border was very bad with thousands of students jostling and trying to enter Romania amid the torturous treatment of Ukrainian soldiers, she reporters at the Jaipur airport.

Rajasthan industry minister Shakuntla Rawat, BJP MP from Sikar Swami Sumedhanand and others were present at the Jaipur airport to receive the students who also thanked the Centre for airlifting them, the government of Romania for facilitating them and the state dispensation for making arrangements to send them home.

Akshay Soni, a second year student in Ukraine, said the Ukrainian soldiers were not allowing the Indian students to cross the border and were hitting them, mostly boys.

”They kicked a girl in front of me. She fainted. They were beating us. The situation was very horrific. The officials of the Indian embassy left us to our destiny. We had been trying to contact them through helpline numbers, WhatsApp but there was no response,” Soni said. He said they reached the border at their own risk and hired a bus with their money. In Romania, the students said, they were provided with food and other things. ”It was like a dream. We thank the authorities in Romania for treating us well, giving us food and other facilities. We had nothing to eat at the border for three days. We kept standing most of the time and arriving here is like a second birth,” he said.

Many other students are still struggling at the border, the rescued students said.

Rajasthan Industry minister Shakuntla Rawat said the state government has made arrangements for sending the students to their homes at its expense.