What happened Before Naveen Died In Ukraine?

Yesterday, the 21-year-old Indian medical student named Naveen became the first Indian casualty in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Talking about what has actually happened before his tragic death, a group of students at the Kharkiv National Medical University in eastern Ukraine decided to leave after bombings went severe. The bunch of students decided to take the risk of the cross-country dash of over 1,500 km from their city near the Russian border to the Hungarian border in the southwest.

While one group left on Monday, Naveen suggested to others to wait so that they can take the juniors along as they are new to Ukraine. It was Naveen’s idea to leave Kharkiv on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday morning, Naveen stepped out of the bunker, where the students had been holed up for the past six days, to buy groceries. “Whenever the curfew would be lifted, we would go out together to buy groceries,” said a final year student.

Naveen had left for the market to bring food for all of his friends, which is about 50 metres from the bunker. “At 7.58 am, he sent a message to one of us, saying he was short of money and asked for some to be transferred to his account. One of us called his phone at 8.10 am, but a Ukrainian answered the call and said he was no more,” a friend of Naveen said. “He died when he went to get us food,” he added.

Apparently, a student coordinator said that Naveen lived near the Governor’s House and had been standing in the queue for food. ”Suddenly there was an airstrike that blew up the Governor’s House and he was killed”. Naveen hailed from Haveri district, about 300 km from Bengaluru and his father Shekharappa Gyanagoudar is a retired private firm employee. Shekharappa said Naveen had called the family around 10 pm on Monday.

“He said the situation was really bad but he was safe. On Tuesday morning, he called and spoke to his mother. After the war broke out, he had been calling 4-5 times every day. We never thought his life was in danger,” he said. In his last call, Naveen was advised by his family to “place an Indian flag” outside the building he was in. A video of his last conversation with his family indicated that the idea was also suggested by Union minister Piyush Goyal, who apparently told them that both Russia and Ukraine had assured the safety of Indian students.