NEW DELHI – An Indian student was killed by Russian shelling in the easternUkrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday.
Indian officials identified the victim as Naveen S G, a fourth-year MBBSstudent at Kharkiv National Medical University. He hailed from Chalagerivillage in Karnataka’s Haveri district.
The development prompted New Delhi to step up demands for safe passage toevacuate thousands of its nationals trapped in the war zone.
Russian forces are trying to lay siege to Kharkiv, firing volleys ofartillery that have killed civilians including children, Ukrainianofficials say.
Indian foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said the ambassadors ofRussia and Ukraine had been called in “to reiterate our demand for urgentsafe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities inother conflict zones.”
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In a post on Twitter, he added that the ministry was in touch with thefamily of the student.
Some 6,000 Indians remain trapped since Russia invaded the former Sovietrepublic last week, a government official briefed on the situation.
In total, about 470,000 foreign nationals are stranded in Ukraine,including students and migrant workers, the U.N. migration agency said,urging neighbouring countries to grant them refuge if they try to flee.
