Indian student hailing from Karnataka killed in missile strike in Kharkiv

According to reports, Naveen was heading towards railway station from his apartment, but was unfortunately killed in a missile strike. He was a student of Kharkiv National Medical University

Unfortunate news coming in from the warzone of Kharkiv in Ukraine where an Indian student has been killed in a missile strike.

According to the MEA, Naveen was killed while was standing with some other people to get groceries in Kharkiv. The local student contractor in Khrkhiv and his friends identified Naveen's body. 

Curfew had been relaxed in Kharkiv at 6am on Tuesday. Naveen had come out of the bomb shelter to buy groceries at a store some distance away, along with his friend Yeshwant. Yeshwant and Naveen were standing in a queue to buy groceries amid freezing weather. Naveen then sent Yeshwant to fetch a jacket from the bunker while he waited in the queue. That's when the rocket shell exploded. Naveen's friends tried to reach him on his phone, but the phone was answered by someone who spoke in Russian dialect. Since they did not understand the language, they decided to shift bunkers in the interim. Upon shifting to the new location nearby, they managed to find someone who understood the language and that is when they realised that Naveen had been killed in the explosion.

The External Affairs Ministry confirmed Naveen's death.

The MEA took to Twitter to inform, "With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family."

"Foreign Secretary is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones. Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine."

The body has been kept in a morgue in Kharkiv, the MEA confirmed, adding that arrangements will be made to bring back the mortal remains of the student once the situation in the war zone eases.