Blow-by-blow account of a great escape from Ukraine

On February 24 morning, when I woke up in India, the news was 'breaking' on TV channels - the war had begun... Russia bombing Kiev and other eastern Ukrainian cities. We frantically tried calling our son Kannan, a first year medical student at Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University at Lviv, a small city close to the Polish borders on the western part of Ukraine. He went there only four months ago on November 11. That beautiful city, an international tourist destination and a UNESCO Heritage city, had gone through the pangs of a war before, when Hitler's army marched into Eastern Europe during the Second World War annihilating many Jews to death. During the Crimean war in 2014 between Russia and Ukraine, Lviv had not seen even an iota of disturbance or protests. Everything was calm and secure in Lviv since the Second World war - probably the safest city in Western Ukraine, about 1,000 kilometres away from the Russian borders.

We as parents knew that, but the concern was whether the kid, along with some 15 first-year friends, has started for Kiev to take a flight via Istanbul to India. After three hours, Kannan called back. Lviv is 3.5 hours behind India. "I was sleeping, have Latin classes today and after that we have a train to Kiev". "No, please don't go. Kiev is bombed", parents yelled and cried. "What??", the boy asked. Soon the eight hostels in the university and apartments outside where some 7,500 students are residing (1,400 of them foreign students and at least half of them Indians), knew the 'news'.

So was at other Ukrainian education hubs where Indian kids are studying - on the western front cities at Ivano Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, in South Ukraine at Odessa (where the famous film Sergie Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin was shot), on the Russian borders at Kharkiv, Sumy and inside at Ukrainian capital Kiev and Dnipropetrovs'k. These universities teach some 18,000 Indian students, mostly from middle class families and they pursue medical education, veterinary and engineering. There are Indian contractors, mostly doctors working in India or abroad, who studied at these universities. Many of them are official contractors to these Ukraine Government run universities, like the Danylo Halytsky, a 300 year old university and among the top ranking in Eastern Europe (The anatomy museum there is an attraction for tourists to Lviv). They facilitate smooth admission and parents need not run around for admission. It has been going on for years and Ukraine has become one among the most sought after overseas destinations for quality education, especially medicine.

We spoke to the agency which facilitated his travel and admission. Lviv has an international airport. At least for a month, that was 'restricted' only for European flights (read NATO as the US and Canadian embassies were already moved to Lviv). Kannan's first semester got over only two days ago. Due to 'the rising Covid-19 cases in Lviv, the University was thinking of switching to online classes for the second sem', teachers had told students. In Ukraine, they follow the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). By this, if the student has a rework to clear in a particular subject, he/she may transfer their previously scored marks to make up for the rework, but if the student gets a NB (absent) three times in a subject, they will be expelled from the university. Annual two month vacation is only three months away. Normally vacation tickets will be booked in March, when exam schedules are known. Tickets will cost about ₹60,000-70,000 to and fro, and most parents don't have the luxury of their kids having multiple trips in a year.

News on Putin's build-up 'exercises' has been going on since March 2021. Biden's recent hype was seen as a hysteria to sell their arms. Teachers told them nothing would happen and they have been seeing this for years. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine had actually advised them to leave a few days before when Biden was making the 'hype'. In that they said, "Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential should leave the country temporarily". But students were not willing to leave. Most were not following what was happening around. They assured their parents back in India that nothing would happen and they won't be able to leave unless the universities allow them.

I spoke to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sources, they assured all help and our Government's commitment to evacuate not only Kannan, but all the Indian students. Soon came an advisory video clip from the Embassy of Poland that circulated among the WhatsApp groups of students. Nagma Mallik, the Polish Ambassador in that video said India has set up three offices in the West Ukraine - one at Lviv, another at Shehyni Medyka border and another at Krakowiec border for facilitating easy transit out to Poland. Students tried to speak to the Indian Embassy in Ukraine at Kiev, which by that time had become a shelter for Indian students stranded in Kiev. Most of the less than half a dozen officials at the Embassy were moving to Lviv. Most groups could not access them. Students in the West heard about the two borders and all rushed towards Lviv and from there to Shehyni Medyka border, 72 kms or just one and a half hours by road from Lviv. But it was already late...

February 25
Within hours of bombing in Kiev, TV channels were showing highways to the Western borders flooded with cars. They were coming to Lviv and to the Polish borders. By the time Kannan & friends could arrange a bus and reach Shehnyi Medyka by evening, roads were choked. They started walking towards the border gate, 5 kms away. By that time, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine had sent out another advisory - asking students not to go to the borders and to remain at 'wherever places they are'. But by that time it was too late, students from all parts of Ukraine were rushing as fast as possible to the Polish borders, mainly Shehyni Medyka. They were helpless. Most of them do not know how to speak Ukrainian, and also lack knowledge of the terrain.

At the border gate, it was total chaos and commotion. A sea of Ukranians and Africans, in thousands if not lakhs, were jostling to get out. For many of them, it is also an opportunity to migrate to European Union countries with the Polish migrant visa. They were not bothering the guards, fighting and abusing, and many were jumping the border gates. Helpless Indian student groups got stranded in the open, very far from the border gates, in freezing cold, -7 in that night.

At the same time, the real heroes of the Indian evacuation mission were teaming up from different parts of the world. Mostly young doctors like Dr Arun Pazhayampally from Kerala, Dr Suraj Lal in London, Dr Shubham Gautam and friends, Dr Jinesh (now doing PG inside Ukraine close to the Hungarian border) and the like. They had studied medicine in different Ukraine Universities for 6-8 years at the prime of their youth, had seen the Crimean war, and are now practicing as doctors in India, Europe or the US. They know fluent local language, they have local connections in their alma mater cities. They formed a core group and reactivated old contacts, collated details of the fleeing Indian student groups and started instructing on WhatsApp groups not to panic and what to do. The biggest issue was arranging logistics. All Ukrainians aged 18-60 have to be soldiers, the country is under curfew, and drivers are not willing to take chances. Those who were ready, were demanding 400 Hryvnia per student, that is about ₹1,200 to take them to the borders from Lviv. Beyond the borders, Indian volunteers Rajesh,Ranju Kannan, Markose and Jincy (in Poland), Shairil, Sissil, Ishita, Uma Maheswar Rao in Hungary, were moving to the borders in Poland, Romania and Slovakia, along with respective Embassy officials. Parents like us also became part of that team communicating movements inside Ukraine to the officials in Delhi.

February 26
Students at Shehyni Medyka border were asked to move to nearest shelters - schools or auditoriums converted as shelters. Food is available, but no toilets. Only women and kids are allowed inside at night. Boys, with spirits intact, stood in the open braving extreme cold and guarding their sisters. Some bravehearts tried entry, fighting with guards and 7-8 feet hugely built Ukrainians and Africans. Some dare devils even jumped the walls, most ending up bruised and beaten by guards. Efforts from India were yielding some results. A separate queue was made for checking in Indian students. News came that an Indian embassy official has come from Lviv. Students were asked to go to the border gates and stand in the line for Indian students. Guards protected them. About 35 students and Indian nationals smoothly went across the border gates. News came that our first batch got over and the gates are again closed. It was getting dark and soon Ukrainians made a commotion- they demanded entry for them first. Then came a mad rush. Students in the group got dispersed and were thrown into the middle of that chaos and panic. Misinformation was also doing rounds, as parents and relatives sitting in India were instructing their kids what to do, watching 'news breaks' in TVs. Two hours later, bruised and sullen faced kids somehow got back to the shelter and regrouped. Two of them from Kannan's group were missing. Some lost their passports and small handbags with them. Some managed to find the lost properties. They cannot go back to hostels as vehicles are not available.

February 27
Volunteers tracking from Poland borders called up student Point of Contacts (POC) in the team to get up early morning and rush to the Shehnyi Medyka border gate, 15 minutes away. The queue is thin and the mad rush is over. There is a separate queue for girls, already some girls have crossed over and are with us in Poland. In two hours, the group reached the border gates and stood there for entry. When their turn came, the guards shouted and turned them away - 'no entry for Indians and Pakistanis'. News of India and Pakistan voting in favour of Russia at UNSC was already doing the rounds. But girls were allowed to cross, though they had to fight with Ukrainian women and officials at the immigration.

Shattered boys walked back. News came that a batch of 30 including girls are waiting at a shelter 13 kilometres away. In fact, the team was able to arrange a vehicle for them to either go back to hostel or the Hungarian border. But they did not board that bus. May be parents were instructing them from India to go to the borders. Kannan's group was instructed to join that group, and walk back all the way.

News came from Poland that the Indian embassy is going to organise ten buses each from the Shehnyi Medyka border, where more than 2,000 Indian students are waiting to cross. Google forms were sent to student groups to mobilise data. Kids will be evacuated through other border gates in Poland, instead of the 'sensitive Shehnyi Medyka'. A lady from Poland called POCs of Kannan's group to know whether they can come in 30 minutes. Impossible. They just reached the shelter. Will have to walk back 12 kilometres to reach the WOG gas station, the point of pick up. We will start tomorrow early morning, provided we have an assured bus, said Gokul and Ashik, seniors and team leaders.

February 28
Don't start. went message from the core team to Gokul. "There is a bit of confusion and problems in managing the buses. Things are grim," informed Rajesh from Warsaw, co-ordinating with the Indian Embassy. Later, news came that some buses were arranged and some of those 2,000 somehow found them and got in. There was nobody to guide except the drivers. They travelled towards a border as per Embassy instruction and on the way Ukrainian guards seized the vehicles citing lack of permit. Those inside got stranded in the middle. Don't know whether it's correct info or not, no confirmation.

No other way. Take kids back to hostel and try another way out. The group managed to arrange three mini-vans from Lviv. They will travel all the way to Lviv and will take back kids. What next?

"Uzhhorod is 20 kilometres away from the Hungarian border and 5 kms from the Slovakian border. Our Dr Jinesh is working there and he is now helping with evacuation. From the nearby Chop railway station, students can travel by train to Budapest and immigration happens inside the train. We have already sent a bus full of students to Budapest, by managing to arrange a driver having EU license. Stay and accommodation in Uzhhorod will not be an issue. Already our few batches are there with Jinesh. In four hours, can reach Uzhhorod by bus from Lviv. The driver is coming back to Lviv and after sleep, can arrange him to travel again to Hungary," said Dr Arun Pazhayampally and Dr Suraj Lal of the core group, after making calls inside and outside Ukraine.

By sunset, the vans came to pick up kids from the shelter and they started. Soon came three police vehicles and army patrols. They suspected that the drivers are taking money and trying to help kids crossover to Poland. Students informed the police that they are going back to hostel. Police drivers, however, took over the wheels and army vehicles escorted them to the hostel, 70 kms away.

March 1
While kids were waiting for the bus to Hungary, an important news came to the core group from Poland. Three kids managed to cross through a new border on their own by hiring a private vehicle and somehow have reached Rzeszow. They reached at 3 in the night at that border, there was no rush, and do not know the situation there right now. That is Budomezh-Hrushiv border, one and a half hours away from Lviv. A group of 20 in the hostel was directed to try that route. "Only 50 including us waiting for crossing, just one family of Ukraine," got message from that team. In half an hour they crossed. Within an hour, the core team arranged a Volvo bus with an Indian flag and took Kannan's 40 member group to Budomezh. By 2'o clock they reached the border, There was no rush or crowds. Just a few scattered groups of families. In an hour Kannan was the first among the group to get entry to Poland from Budomezh. He was greeted by Vivek Singh, a senior Poland Embassy official. The first thing Vivek did was to make a video call to me: "Sir, your son is now safe with our Government". Vivek also informed the two missing kids are now with them, one has reached the hotel and the other one on the way.

When Kannan was crossing over Budomezh, a message came from his Latin teacher at Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University. "You will not have online classes till March 12. Enjoy your holidays".

March 2
The core team forgot about Kannan and his team once crossed over, dissolved that WhatsApp group. They were planning another 'Mission Impossible' - to evacuate 4,000 plus kids from the heavy shelling Kharkhiv in the east, 1,000 kms away. Frantic messages from kids and parents were flooding. Rumours were going on Russians were going to carpet bomb. In an hour, lists and PoC's were organised about students sitting in bunkers. By that time, the Indian embassy sent out a directive asking students to leave the city, somehow.

Kharkhiv specialists drew the plan. It has to be a precise operation. Like in Moscow, Kharkhiv has an extensive underground metro system, which is still functional and an active city underground. These large metro stations were built during the Soviet regime, with facilities to escape bombs if the then USSR was going to face another war. the plan was to direct 30 each groups to move from one metro line to another every 15 minutes and in 2-3 travels, they could be out of the city to reach a suburban long distance train station to catch trains to Lviv, Rebokov, Kiev and Uzhhorod. Trains a are running from Kiev to Lviv and curfew is lifted. Special evacuation trains are also going to start by the Ukraine government from Kharkhiv. By afternoon, the action started. The trains were crowded. Two three groups managed entry. Then guards started asking money, like 500 US dollars. Many students gave i-pads and laptops to get into the trains. In a day, they can contact the volunteers waiting for evacuation to the borders.

March 4
Before arriving at Kochi airport, Kannan and Gokul were greeted by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Highways VK Singh at Rzeszow airport and by Union Health Minister Mansuk Mandavia at the Delhi airport.

The boys were serene, calm and composed. In their ordeal in the last five days, they have a learnt more than what they can learn in decades. Gokul, a fourth year student at Danylo Halytsky and the core team's hitman warrior on ground in that mission says: "One day I will tell my kids and grandkids, I have seen a big war".

Back at home, Kannan took out from his jacket's inner pocket where his passport was kept a nail polish for mother and a few whiskey laced famous Roshen brand Ukranian chocolates he had purchased for parents on February 24 from Lviv. I have been writing this copy savouring that chocolate.

March 5
Sir, in Sumi, we are have a plan, the message has just arrived.