In terse capital letters, an advisory from the Indian Embassy in Kyiv ordered Indians to leave Kharkiv immediately, on foot if necessary, as a student from Punjab died of a stroke, possibly brought on by anxiety, for which he was already under treatment.
“There has been a sharp increase in the number of Indians who have left Ukraine. We now estimate that nearly 17,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine borders since our advisories were issued,” Spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said, even as Russia promised “humanitarian corridors” for the safe passage of Indians caught in the war.