An Indian student was killed on Tuesday by shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
Naveen Shekaragouda, the deceased student, was out to buy groceries when he met the tragic. This is the first reported death of an Indian student amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The incident has prompted India to step up demands for safe passage to evacuate thousands of its nationals trapped in the war zone.
India's Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed Naveen's death. The 21-year-old Naveen Shekharappa was a final-year medical student when he died.
"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. We convey our deepest condolences to the family," tweeted the official spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry.
Spokesman Arindam Bagchi added that the ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine had been called in "to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones."
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, has been a target for Russian forces since President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of the eastern European country last week.
On Tuesday, the central square of the city near the Russian border was shelled by advancing forces who hit the building of the local administration, regional governor Oleg Sinegubov said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the shelling as a "war crime", adding in a video statement: "This is state terrorism on the part of Russia."
Naveen Shekaragouda, the deceased student, was out to buy groceries when he met the tragic. This is the first reported death of an Indian student amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The incident has prompted India to step up demands for safe passage to evacuate thousands of its nationals trapped in the war zone.
India's Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed Naveen's death. The 21-year-old Naveen Shekharappa was a final-year medical student when he died.
"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. We convey our deepest condolences to the family," tweeted the official spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry.
Spokesman Arindam Bagchi added that the ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine had been called in "to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones."
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, has been a target for Russian forces since President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of the eastern European country last week.
On Tuesday, the central square of the city near the Russian border was shelled by advancing forces who hit the building of the local administration, regional governor Oleg Sinegubov said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the shelling as a "war crime", adding in a video statement: "This is state terrorism on the part of Russia."
