NEW DELHI, 25 February 2022, (TON): Aprit Katiyar, an Indian student in Kharkiv, was glued on his television screen on Wednesday night, watching the news about a possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

But the 22-year-old’s slumber did not last long.

Katiyar, from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, told media “I had fallen asleep for just around 45 minutes when at 5am, the sound of bombs woke me up. “I was horrified.”

Katiyar’s fear had become a reality.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a televised statement in the early hours of Thursday, announced the launch of a military operation in Donbas and called on Ukraine’s military to lay down its arms.

Putin claimed the action comes in response to threats coming from Ukraine, saying Russia does not have a goal to occupy the neighbouring country.