Russia-Ukraine: “We bin hear loud explosions, den electricity and water off” – Nigerian student wey dey trapped for Sumy, Ukraine

Di evacuation of thousands of international students wey dey Sumy State University for di north-eastern part of Ukraine pause for last minute on Monday, 7 March afta reports comot say Russian troops don block di borders.

Sumy dey share border Russia.

Otunla Samuel na masters student from Nigeria wey bin dey study Veterinary for Sumy National Agrarian University and e tok say as di fighting between Russia and Ukraine dey enta di 11th day, e tok say di whole experience dey very traumatic sake of say dem no fit comot.

"We still dey stuck for hia," di school administration tell some days ago say dem (as part of di Ukrainian government) dey get discussions make dem arrange humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to leave Sumy (and oda areas) safely.

Dem dey discuss wit di Red Cross to make dis one happen. But far e tok say Samuel and odas dey wait for results.

"Today (March 7), dem bin arrange buses to move students but unfortunately, di Russian goment and military no reach ceasefire, so di Ukrainian goment no fit safely move us."

For Sumy, Samuel tok say dem dey constantly get safety warnings from di state military. E tok say once dem hear di siren sound, evribodi go gats run go bomb shelters. For di shelter, di students go dey hear di shelling and gunfire.

"I follow join wit 60 international students, Ukrainian students and hostel staff and we don spend di last seven nights for one dusty basement/bomb shelter.

"E no be good experience."

Samuel tok of one di worst day since dem move go di shelter.

March 3 for Samuel na one of di day wit di worst experience for am.

"Afta we hear di safety warning and enta di basement, we hear one of di loudest explosions (we don eva hear) and den electricity off - no be just our area but all over di city. Water follow off. E tok say dem stay like dis for 17 hours later.

E tok say so far dem don get explosions for 10 out of 11 days.

"To comot for Sumy dey very risky - and expensive."

According to Samuel, tins get as e be for Sumy sake of say most of di ways pipo for take use comot dey blocked.

Train no dey as dem don close di railway. Roads no dey as dem don destroy most of dem make Russian soldiers no get chance to enta di region, dem don block some and di ones wey remain, Russians don take ova dem.

E tok say some civilians don tray travel by road to oda cities as dem dey drive thru all di checkpoints but e also share say dem don shoot some pipo.

"Oda pipo reach dead ends sake of broken bridges and dem gats turn back."

Samuel tok say e dey expensive to comot from Sumy bicos di Ukrainian drivers wey fit transport students dey charge between $2000-5000 for 200km drive to reach di south.

Afta dis ride, dem go need enta free train to di West (Lviv/Uzhghorod).

"Na only wen we reach dis kain places, we fit deal wit passing thru di border to neighbouring kontris."

More fotos from from di bunher wey di students dey live.