South Africa Students Stuck in Ukraine After Russian Invasion, Scrambling to Find a Way to Come Home

• Several South Africans who are studying in Ukraine have been stranded there after Russia invaded the country
• The students have tried making contact with Dirco and the South African ambassador to Ukraine to assist them in leaving
• The students were told that if they could get to Poland, they would be assisted at the embassy there

KYIV - Many South Africans studying in Ukraine have been stranded there after Russia invaded the country.

“We were told to evacuate our homes, and we are currently in a subway to keep safe. We have heard explosions, but we do not have a clear instruction or direction on where we should go," one of the students said.

According to IOL, the students are scared and desperate to be evacuated from Ukraine. But, instead, the students said they found themselves living in fear, hiding in subways after Ukraine turned into a conflict zone.

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The students scramble to leave Ukraine

The students have tried contacting Dirco and the South African ambassador to Ukraine to assist them in leaving. The ambassador tried his best to help them, but he was unsuccessful due to transport links, such as trains and flights, being stopped for the foreseeable future.

However, the students were told that they would be assisted at the embassy if they could get to Poland. They managed to get on a train to Lviv City, 70km from the Ukraine-Poland border.

South Africans reacted to stranded students

@ncontsi believes:

"Our students have had an incredibly difficult time. Me personally, I won't forget this."

@IamLadyeeElle said:

"@DIRCO_ZA please assist in evacuating South Africans in Ukraine."

@MarkVan73535718 asked:

"I thought South Africans don't go to other countries?"

@LisasaysSA1st shared:

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"I'm sure they were preaching unity in Ukraine as foreigners often do. Now there's no unity in war is there?"

SA man stuck in Ukraine details horrifying attacks: “I heard a huge explosion"

Speaking of South Africans in Ukraine, Briefly News recently reported that the lives of Ukrainian citizens have been turned upside following the Russian invasion which has seen explosions hit the edge of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv. Reports state that the country has prompted the city residents to flee for safety.

Speaking on the wild reality of living in a war-torn country, a South African living in Kyiv, Kobus Olivier said he was safe amid the chaos.

Speaking to KFM Mornings on Friday, Olivier, CEO of the Ukrainian Cricket Federation, said the explosion that first hit Kyiv Airport, which was targeted on Thursday, was quite scary. He confirmed that it had since been evacuated.

Source: Briefly News