New Delhi: Indian students studying in Ukraine are caught between devil and the deep blue sea as fears of a war loom over the eastern European nation.
As the tension simmering between neigbouring countries, back home their parents have lost sleep over their children's wellbeing.
Students are known to be booking tickets to go home to India, reports say, with around 50 per cent of them booking their tickets. The rest of them are bum-rushing for tickets.
A ticket from Kyiv to India costs around Rs 25-30,000. Air India is now running three special flights. However the ticket costs upwards of Rs 60,000, leaving students in tight-spot.
Air India's special flights would be operated on February 22, 24 and Feb 26.
Indian students pursuing education at
Students at the Ternopil Medical University in capital Kyiv touch base with the Indian Embassy. The university is also helping them to go home safely.
Most of the 20,000 Indian nationals in Ukraine are medical students.
"In both the advisories issued by the Indian Embassy, it has been mentioned that the situation is 'bad'. After the second advisory, even students are thinking to return to India. Besides, the university has also kept the option of going home open." Nirdesh Dosi hailing from Rajasthan, who is pursuing MBBS said.
As the tension mounts, Indian students stay in the nation is redundant and they have been advised to leave the nation.
Further, the Indian Embassy told them to keep checking its social media for all the updates.
Meanwhile, one student from Gujarat said "We need to look for tickets at least a week before... Moreover, the university has stated that online classes won't be held. We have been allowed to leave for a month but at the same time, asked to rejoin classes after a month. But we will miss out on the syllabus."
"Parents are quite worried. I am being told daily to book ticket and come back... things, however, don't look easy," he added.