More than a hundred African students are begging for assistance to evacuate the Ukrainian port city of Kherson, which was overrun by Russian soldiers more than two weeks ago.
They've been huddled in subterranean bunkers on campus for days in very cold weather, with no heating or medical supplies. They claim to be traumatized and desperate to leave the metropolis in the south.
One kid told the BBC that the "terrifying" sound of gunshots, explosions, and military aircraft could still be heard.
As Russian forces press north-west into Mykolaiv, this could be the sound of combat. Soldiers from Russia have also opened fire on demonstrators opposing their occupation.
Nigerian students among them have petitioned their government to assist them in evacuating before it is too late. They claim to be among the city's last foreigners, according to the BBC.
"We're asking to get out of here; things aren't easy for us," one student told the BBC over the phone. For their own protection, we're not naming them.
Nigeria's government claims it is working nonstop to assist them in escaping. A Russian official notified its ambassador in Moscow last week that efforts were being made to transfer the students escape through Russia.
However, this has not yet occurred, and the pupils have stated that they are frightened of being taken to Russia.