Russia-Ukraine Crisis: 21-Year-Old Karnataka Student Dies During Shelling In Kharkiv

A student named Naveen Shekharappa lost his life during the shelling in Ukraine's Kharkiv. Hailing from Karnataka's Haveri district, the 21-year-old boy was out buying groceries when Russia began firing at the city's Governor House, claiming 11 lives that included that of the student. According to The Quint, Naveen studied at the Kharkiv National Medical College, situated in Ukraine's second largest city after capital Kyiv.

"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," Arindam Bagchi, Ministry of External Affairs' spokesperson tweeted the news, asking both the Russian and Ukrainian ambassadors to provide an urgent safe passage for stranded Indian students.

Indian Students Asked To Leave Kyiv

NDTV spoke to Pooja Praharaj who is a students' coordinator in Kharkiv. "He (Naveen) lived in the Governor's House and had been standing in the queue for food. Suddenly there was an airstrike that blew up the building and he was killed," she said. Further, Praharaj added that a Ukrainian woman found his phone and told that the phone's owner has been taken to the morgue, thus confirming his demise.

The devastating attack comes in on the sixth day of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, that has only gotten worse. In terms of Indian students in the country, around 9000 have been successful to get out of Ukraine. However, around 16,000 are still stranded in the war-torn nation. Recently, several videos and tweets have gone viral, imploring the Indian government to step up a gear in the 'Operation Ganga' evacuation programme. While some of them have been successful in reaching the respective neighbouring nations, some are taking refuge in bunkers and metro stations around Ukraine.

Also Read: A Tightrope Walk! India's 'Mature' Diplomacy Over Russia-Ukraine Crisis Holds Grave Consequences