First Indian Casualty in Strife-Torn Ukraine, Medical Student Killed in Shelling in Kharkiv

An Indian student was killed in war-hit Ukraine’s Kharkiv city on Tuesday as a result of shelling, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed. The ministry tweeted that it was in touch with the student’s family.

“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,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote.

The deceased has been identified as Naveen Gyanagoudar, a fourth-year medical student and a native of Karnataka. He had gone out to buy groceries when the incident occurred, according to reports.

In a second tweet, Bagchi said that Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has dialled 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,” Bagchi added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Naveen’s family, while CM Basavaraj Bommai extended condolences and also promised to make all efforts to bring back the mortal remains to the country.

Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second-largest city, which has been heavily pounded by Russian shelling. Sources told News18 that the deteriorating situation in the eastern Ukrainian city is a matter of grave concern as the safety and security of Indian nationals is of utmost priority to the government.

“We had already taken up with the Russian and Ukrainian Embassies the pressing requirement of safe passage for Indian nationals, including students, from Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones,” sources said. The demand for safe passage of Indians has been raised with Russia and Ukraine a number of times since the beginning of the conflict on February 24. It was conveyed to both Russian and Ukrainian ambassadors in New Delhi as well as taken up in the respected capitals, sources said.

From India’s side, preparations for evacuation have been in place for some time now. An Indian team has already been stationed in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border. However, the conflict situation in and around Kharkiv and other nearby cities has been an obstacle. “Therefore, it is imperative that Russia and Ukraine respond to our need for safe passage urgently,” sources told News18.

“In places, where the conflict has not been an endangered movement, we have been able to evacuate our citizens. More than 9,000 Indian nationals have been brought out of Ukraine, while a considerable number are now in safer areas. We will continue to make utmost efforts to ensure the return of our citizens stranded in Ukraine,” sources added.

The news of the death of the Indian student came hours after the Indian embassy in Kyiv asked Indian students and citizens to leave Kyiv immediately. It asked stranded students and citizens to take trains or other means of transportation.

“All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available,” the Indian embassy tweeted.

India has undertaken a massive initiative under Operation Ganga to bring back its stranded citizens from strife-torn Ukraine through neighbouring countries such as Romania, Poland, and Hungary. It has also sent four Union ministers – Hardeep Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and VK Singh – as ‘special envoys’ to look after the evacuation. While Scindia will look after evacuation efforts from Romania and Moldova, Rijiju will head to Slovakia. Puri will go to Hungary, while Singh will be heading to Poland to manage the evacuation of Indians who have come from Ukraine through land routes.

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