"The Ukrainian government is not allowing us to travel to the Russian border. Please do whatever you can or else we will die for sure," a group of Indian students stuck in Sumy State University said on Thursday late night as they rushed themselves into a bunker in the campus after hearing loud explosion sounds.
Anzeena Noushad and her friends Raifa Fatima and Shabna Ashique, who are pursuing MBBS at the Sumy State University, said they were running out of water and there was power cut in the area.
Anzeena told DH over the phone from a bunker in Sumy, "right now there is no power. Soon after we heard the sound of an explosion, we ran inside the bunker. We just took our passports. We are really scared."
Raifa said the explosion was huge and they could feel the vibration inside the bunker as the explosion continued. Shabha said there were running out of water and food.
The students at Sumy State University are around 90 minutes away from the Russian border and the buses are waiting for them but they are not able to get out of the campus.
"We were waiting to get out. We are told that the buses are waiting for us at the Russian border. The Ukrainian government is not allowing us to get out. Please do whatever you can or else we will die for sure," the three friends said.
Anzeena said they heard that the power sub-station that supplies to the locality has been damaged and they may not have electricity for the next few days.
"We saw the explosion. We just got out with our passports. We are not even taken our clothes or shoes. It is too cold. The Indian government should take whatever steps to engage with the Ukrainian government to ensure that we get out of the war zone," she said.