Chennai, Feb 25 (IANS)

With the Russian troops marching into the Ukrainian capital,  Kyiv a Keralite doctor who has been living in the country since 1987 told IANS that the situation was grave.

Dr. U.P.R Menon is a consultant with the Ministry of Health in Ukraine and head of the Indian Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Association is holed up in a bunker under his home and comes out occasionally. Married to a Ukrainian national, he said that he is in the bunker with his wife and mother in law but his only son is in another part of the country.

The Indian doctor said that casualties at the present moment are not that high as the Ukrainian army has not engaged with the Russians in a direct shelling and once that begins, the casualties and damages will increase.

Dr. Menon said that on Thursday, shops were open but he did not visit any shop and occasionally reaches his home as the bunker is situated below his home building.

The medical doctor who is working with the Ukrainian government said that all the borders except the Western border are under Russian siege and evacuation is possible only through the Western border. He said that Government of India will try and evacuate its citizens through the Western border, to begin with, and later Indians including students from other parts of the country.

He said that the situation was very tough and a large number of people are holed up in bunkers and in many other areas of Ukraine heavy shelling is taking place.

He also asked everyone to pray for Ukraine and when asked whether he hopes that the war would end soon, he said “ There is a saying in Russian, Hope dies last”.

Doctor Menon said that he has to return back to the bunker as talking outside was not advisable at the moment and signed off.