Insight Bureau: Tragedy struck India as the Russia-Ukraine war intensified further. Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, a 4th year student of Kharkiv National Medical University in Kharkiv, Ukraine was killed in shelling.
21-year-old Naveen, who hailed from Haveri in Karnataka, was studying medicines. He is the first Indian casualty in the war. After Kyiv, Kharkiv is the second worst hit Ukrainian city by Russian strike. Naveen was standing in a queue to receive supplies when the missile struck him and others.
“Foreign Secretary is calling in 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,” tweets MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
The Government of India as well as Karnataka Government are in touch with Naveen’s family. Efforts will be made to bring back his mortal remains at the earliest.
Over 9000 Indian nationals have been brought out of Ukraine while a considerable number are now in safer areas. Over 1000 Indian Nationals have returned home so far. The Air India flights are working on a war footing to evacuate the Indians. 4 Union Ministers are deployed in the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to monitor the evacuation process.
The Indian Air Force is joining the evacuation process to speed up things, it has been reported.
