‘Showed Bullet Marks to Mother,’ Indian Student Shot At in Ukraine Recalls Ordeal in New Documentary

“The bullets entered my chest through the right-hand side. I remembered my family as I thought it is the last day of my life, but I just knew that I wouldn’t die like this. I stood up," said student Harjot Singh, 31, in the latest documentary on Operation Ganga, touted as the largest evacuation mission of the 21st Century launched by the Indian government for Indians stuck in war-torn Ukraine.

Harjot Singh was shot five times, including in his chest, in the western city of Lviv while trying to escape to the capital, Kyiv, in a cab, during the Russia’s military offensive last February. He described how a middle-class person like himself, who had taken a study loan for Ukraine, has to think “twice" before making a life-altering decision to leave the country where he aspires to build his career.

Singh said he showed his bullet marks to his mother on a video call, who he said was a “strong woman", but started crying.

Harjot Singh’s family had sought financial help from the government for his treatment. He was brought back to India on a special Indian Air Force flight on March 7.

History TV18 has announced its new documentary, which shares gripping stories of students stuck in war and anxieties of parents, narrated by media commentator and defence analyst Maroof Raz.

“It’s a great country… I remember my mother telling me to come back to India, but I kept telling her ‘everything is normal here’," said Nimisha Lumba, who was brought back to New Delhi under ‘Operation Ganga’.

The data revealed that there were 22,500 Indian students studying across Ukraine, 40% were in eastern Ukraine closer to the Russian border, while the other 40% were in western side of the country, in the “much safer" zone.

While a control room was set up by the Indian government to start the evacuation, the students on their radar were also battling exorbitant flight ticket prices as limited seats were available amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Flight tickets were shooting through the roof as the day advanced. Almost all flights were full," said Mohammad Mahtab Raza, a student from Champaran, Bihar.

On February 17, 2022, the aviation ministry had removed the restriction on the number of flights and seats between India and Ukraine in the ‘Air Bubble’ arrangement.

The next day, the Indian Embassy in Kiev announced that Air India will operate three flights on February 22, 24 and 26. The first Air India, carrying 242 students, landed in New Delhi. “Nearly 4,000 Indian students had already left Ukraine before February 24," external affairs minister S Jaisankar had said.

As Russia began its offensive on Ukraine on February 24, Arshaan Sheikh from Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, recalled the bombing that took place at the airport runway while he was waiting with others for their flight to India. “There used to be continuous bombing. We were not safe then. We use to live in bunkers," said Sheikh.

“When the war began, we spent the entire night in our room. We didn’t sleep," said Harjot Singh.

The documentary also features Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who explains how the entire operation was planned, and what it meant for the country.

“In the heart of every Indian, there rests a profound faith: No matter the challenge, no matter how daunting the circumstance, they know their government stands with them and will bring them back home safely. This isn’t merely policy – it is our testament of humanity. This is a bond we have seen strengthen time and again, reflecting the indomitable spirit of our nation," says Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Nearly 22,500 Indian students were rescued from the war zone in Ukraine last year and brought back to India under Operation Ganga.