Ukraine Invasion: How Indian Students Are Passing Time At Shelter Homes

Even as the war in Ukraine intensifies, thousands of Indian students and nationals are trying to make their way out of the country by any means possible.

Indian nationals who escaped Ukraine have travelled to pre-determined shelter homes in Romania, Hungary, Moldova and Poland.

BOOM spoke to several Indian students who shared their mixed experiences as they volunteered with the locals; virtual sightseeing or struggled to get basic food and water all the while waiting to go back home.

Seema Gupta* (name changed on request) reached Gyor, in Northwest Hungary and is at a hotel with 46 other students. She said she ate a proper meal for the first time on March 3 since the war.

Post-grad student M Sai Krishna is at a shelter home in Milisauti, in Romania. Krishna and at least 500 others have been looked after well by the locals who have never been in such a situation before.

The Indian nationals at Milisauti have been sheltered in a school gymnasium equipped with airbags, mattresses, blankets, and pillows.

Compared to students who barely got food, Krishna and his friends have been feasting on pizzas, pastas, egg curry, sausages, chocolates, tea, coffee, bread jam and even vegan for those with dietary restrictions.

To help pass the time, the students there watch movies, play card games like UNO, or simply chit chat. However, seeing the locals work hard, Krishna and his friends volunteered by serving food, making the bed, and generally helping out where they could.