Ismail Adedolapo (23-year-old Nigerian student in Kyiv) heard blasts around 5 a.m. on Thursday morning as Russia invaded. “My girlfriend and I were up all night literally watching it unfold around us,”He says. They were evacuated and transferred to a train that was bound for Lviv in western Ukraine. “Never thought I’d run for my life like this, and that’s saying a lot as a Nigerian.”
Nazish Ehtesham (a 19-year-old student from India at Ternopil National Medical University), joined an early morning scramble in his neighbourhood for emergency supplies. “There was total havoc,”He said. “Everybody was rushing to [the] supermarket to buy groceries ….Shops are not taking cards. That’s why everybody was running toward the bank to get cash.”
According to the Ukranian Student Association, around 80,000 students are studying in Ukraine. Data from Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science. India is home to the largest number, followed by Turkmenistan and Turkmenistan, Nigeria, and Azerbaijan. Some claim they want a cheaper education than the one they receive in their country. Others claim they want a safer, better life. All of Ukraine is now at risk due to the Russian invasion and the resulting blockage of transport systems. There’s nowhere for them to go. Many of these international students stranded and uncertain of their safety — or what to do next. “[It’s a] pretty grim situation, to be honest,” Adedolapo says. “And it’s a lot worse for a lot of young international students without a reliable embassy or exit plan.”
Coy Emerald, a Kyiv International University student, woke up to an explosion at 5:30 a.m. The 26-year old Nigerian student, who requested to be identified online as Coy Emerald, is enrolled in computer science studies after he has completed his Ukrainian language courses. Emerald said that he traveled to Ukraine in the hope of finding a safer and more peaceful place than Nigeria. Even though tensions were high, Emerald believed that Vladimir Putin would not allow the invasion to proceed, especially since he had just been arrested for a similar crime. SpeechAccording to the Russian president, Ukraine’s people are “a bunch of people.” “comrades,” “colleagues,” “friends,” “people bound by blood.”Everything has changed. “Unknowingly to me, lives are valueless to the clueless leaders of this part of the world as well,”He said. He posted on Thursday: VideoFrom the university hostel reception, he claims he was given instructions by other students to go to a nearby shelter for bombs.
“I can’t return to Iran because of religious reasons. What shall I do now?”
In an already complicated situation, students may also face additional challenges. Mahdi, 21, from Iran — who asked to be identified by his first name only — has been a dental student at Kyiv International University for about five months, and during that time he says he became a Christian, making a potential return to Iran dangerous for him. “I can’t return to Iran because of religious reasons,”He said. “What shall I do now?” He’s hoping another country will accept him as a refugee. However, he was joined by other students who were staying in a garage located below their hostel.
Students and their supporters mobilized on social media to ask their home governments for chartering. PlanesOut of the country, sharing LocationsStudents were left stranded and offered help. Adviceabout where to find shelter. Additionally, users circulated emergency contact numbers from different countries for students who are stranded. “Students are panicking and are planning to move,”Omotayo, a Nigerian student who is currently studying in Kyiv, asked to be identified only by his first name. “No one feels safe in Ukraine right now anymore. It’s sad how things have come to this.”
Some governments expressed concern about the situation on the ground and said they were making plans for students from Ukraine. Over the course of Thursday, several statements were made by the Indian Embassy. The first, a letter to Ukraine’s president, acknowledged that there were over 15,000 Indian students “stranded in Ukraine in various regions”They asked the Ukrainian government for food and water, and promised to keep them safe. Another recommendation was to students to use Google Maps for bomb shelters, in case they hear sirens. Indian Ambassador posted the following: Videomessage asking Indians living in Ukraine to remain in their homes, and stating that efforts were being made to evacuate Indian citizens at the western border.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a StatementAccording to Nigerian officials, “received with surprise”Reports of the Russian invasion are being reported. It is believed that airports will be open soon so people can leave. “In the meantime, the Nigerian Mission has confirmed that military action by the Russians has been confined to military installations,”According to the statement.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, which blamed the invasion on NATO provokesStatement. “The most important current mission of Iran’s Foreign Ministry is to fully and urgently address the situation of Iranians living in Ukraine, which is underway according to predictions made using all capacities.” Rolling StoneFor more information on evacuating students, I reached out to the embassies of India and Iran in Ukraine, but was not re-contacted.
Ehtesham, 19, was sitting with his classmates in the hostel on Thursday evening. He had just moved his classes online, and Friday’s exam had been cancelled. “We hear sirens all around,”He says. His friends and he were reading news reports, communicating with loved ones in India, and waiting for evacuation. “They are afraid.”
Adedolapo is a Nigerian national who hopes to travel to Poland or any other country under NATO protection. “I’ll probably be denied a visa because of my country of origin but it’s the only feasible option,”He said. “Sure beats waiting for the Russian Army to bombard Kyiv.”He said that he feels like his girlfriend and he have lost their lives and careers. “One thing’s for sure,”He adds. “I can’t return to Ukraine while it remains under Russian control.”