‘Stocked biscuits, chocolates for survival’

Hyderabad: A few biscuits, chocolates and noodles formed the survival kit for Priyanshu as he desperately struggled his way out of the war-torn Ukraine. The youngster from Hyderabad, a first-year student of Medicine from the National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya was caught in the chaos that erupted when Russia decided to invade Ukraine. Sensing […]

Hyderabad: A few biscuits, chocolates and noodles formed the survival kit for Priyanshu as he desperately struggled his way out of the war-torn Ukraine.

The youngster from Hyderabad, a first-year student of Medicine from the National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya was caught in the chaos that erupted when Russia decided to invade Ukraine.

Sensing that the situation would go out of control, Priyanshu chose to heed to the advice of his family and stocked up on biscuits and chocolates. Amid bone-chilling weather conditions, these cookies helped him survive as he wearily trudged 24 kilometres from his university to a railway station near the Ukrainian border with Romania.

However, his plans to board a train and reach Bucharest went awry with a sea of people already waiting to cross over to Romania from the border.

Quickly adapting to the situation and altering exit plans, Priyanshu along with his other Indian friends hired a vehicle to reach the Ukrainian border post with Hungary. With assistance from Indian Embassy officials in Hungary, he safely moved to Budapest to board a special flight to New Delhi.

He was among 30 other Telangana students who safely reached Hyderabad on Wednesday. And it was then that Priyanshu’s family could heave a sigh of relief.

Shares his uncle Dr Anil, “Ever since news of the war in Ukraine broke out, the entire family was tense about Priyanshu. As the university is popular, we thought it would come under fire. Air-raid sirens near his place made the situation worse. He along with 1,500 other university students took shelter in the university storage facility.”

As cooking was a struggle given frequent power outages, the family advised Priyanshu to stock up on chocolates and biscuits which helped him throughout his journey to the Ukrainian border. “He told us that on reaching Hungary, he was given hot milk and pulav besides accommodation,” said Dr. Anil.

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