A 21-year-old Indian student from the southern state of Karnataka was killed during a shelling in Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, on the sixth day of the ongoing war between Moscow and Kyiv.

Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, who hailed from Chalageri village of the state, was killed when he stepped out to buy groceries.

The news of the fourth year medical student of Kharkiv Medical University was first confirmed to the media by the Ministry of External Affairs at around 3:30 pm IST.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted, “With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family.”

“He lived near the Governor’s House and had been standing in the queue for food. Suddenly there was an air strike that blew up the Governor’s House and he was killed,” Pooja Praharaj, a student coordinator in Kharkiv, told NDTV.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is holding rounds of talks emphasising the evacuation of the nationals stuck in Ukraine, spoke to Naveen’s father and called a fresh meeting on the Ukraine crisis.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tweeted, “Shocked on death of Naveen Gyanagoudar, student from Karnataka, in bomb shelling in Ukraine. My deep condolences to the family. May his soul rest in peace. We are constantly in touch with MEA and will make all efforts to bring back his mortal remains.”

Rahul Gandhi, the top leader and MP of the country’s largest opposition party Congress, mourned the death besides giving a message to the central government on the evacuation process.

“Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious,” Gandhi tweeted.

Hours before the death news broke out, the Indian embassy in Ukraine advised all its nationals including students who are stranded to “urgently” leave Kyiv, the capital city of the war-torn country.

A tweet by the embassy reads, “Advisory to Indians in Kyiv. All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available.”

A tweet by the embassy reads, “Advisory to Indians in Kyiv. All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available.”