Indian flag saved us & others, says student fleeing Ukraine

Several Indian students who arrived in the city of Bucharest in Romania from Ukraine said that the national tricolour helped them as well as some Pakistani and Turkish students in safely crossing the various checkpoints in the war-torn country.

"We were told in Ukraine that being Indians and carrying Indian flag, we won't have any problems," said a medical student who arrived from Odesa in Southern Ukraine.

The students narrated how they bought spray paints from the markets to prepare Indian flags.

"I ran to the market, bought some colour sprays and a curtain. I then cut the curtain and spray-painted it to make the Indian tricolour," said a student.

They added that even some Pakistani and Turkish students passed checkpoints using the Indian flag.

"The Turkish and Pakistani students were also using the Indian flag," a student said, adding that the Indian flag was of great help to the Pakistani, Turkish students.

The students from Odessa moved from Molodova to Romania.

They thanked the embassy and Government of India for providing them with bus from Moldova to Romania and helping them reach safely with full facilities.

"Thankful for providing a bus for us from Moldova to Romania and thanking Indian Embassy and Indian government for providing us with full facilities and we reached safely very thankful," said one of the students.

The students also expressed their gratitude to the Indian embassy officials who arranged for their food and shelter as they awaited their flights back to India.

(ANI)