In the week since Russian President Vladimir Putin began the military invasion of Ukraine, its effects have been strongly felt around the globe. India has since ramped up its evacuation efforts to get countless students back home. Even as the government aims to bring back over 6,300 Indians from Ukraine by March 8 under Operation Ganga, Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has now joined forces to aid the initiative.

Over the past few days, several stranded students mdash from Kyiv to Lviv mdash reached out to the actor on social media, seeking help. Sood Foundation reacted promptly to the distress messages and initiated contact with the Indian embassies in Romania and Poland. The members of the foundation teamed up with Ukraine's neighbouring countries with a two-fold objective mdash first, to determine alternative routes for students to cross the Ukrainian border and reach safe territories. For this, the team is heavily relying on the embassies' knowledge of the local region and is constantly tracking the situation at the chosen exit points. Secondly, the foundation is also arranging transport for students in certain areas. A source says, 'They have teamed up with local Indian bodies in Poland and are sending taxis to take Indian students to the airport.' Yesterday, Sood wrote on Twitter that his foundation had helped 300-plus students cross the border, so far.