Russia-Ukraine war: Thousands of Arab students stranded as bombs fall

The invasion of Ukraine has left thousands of Arab students stranded in the country, risking bombardment as Russia continues its advance.

Morocco alone has around 8,000 students in the country. MEE spoke to some of them about what their plans were following Ukraine's decision to close its airspace.

Omar Bentabjaoute, a Moroccan student in Kharkiv, a Ukrainian city bordering Russia where explosions were reported on Thursday, said the atmosphere there was chaotic. 

"It's panic outside. Everyone is running. Some people are getting money from banks. Others are rushing to get gas," Bentajoute told Middle East Eye. 

"I was woken up by an explosion at 5.50AM, but for the last five hours, it's been quiet. Our water has been on and off, and we lost the internet for a short period."

Earlier this week, Moroccan officials confirmed that the kingdom had launched a series of repatriation flights from Kyiv to Rabat to bring citizens back from Ukraine.

But hundreds of Moroccan students remain there, with local outlets reporting that high prices for flights are keeping them stranded.

Russia-Ukraine war: Thousands of Arab students stranded as bombs fall