Four Indian students sustained injuries during a knife attack at a medical university dormitory in Russia’s Bashkortostan republic over the weekend, India’s Embassy in Moscow confirmed on Monday. The incident occurred at Bashkir State Medical University in the regional capital, Ufa, about 1,300 kilometers east of Moscow.
According to Russian investigators, the 15-year-old suspect attacked on Saturday before police intervened. When officers attempted to detain him, the assailant stabbed two policemen. Authorities arrested the teenager at the scene and later hospitalized him after he sustained self-inflicted wounds.
Law enforcement officials filed multiple criminal charges, including attempted murder of a police officer. Meanwhile, unconfirmed media reports suggested the suspect remained in critical condition and may have attempted suicide. Those reports also claimed the teenager could have had links to a neo-Nazi group outlawed in Russia, although investigators have not publicly confirmed any ideological motive.
India’s Embassy in Moscow said four Indian nationals were injured and are receiving assistance. In response, officials from the Indian Consulate General in Kazan traveled to Ufa to support the victims and coordinate with local authorities.
Diplomatic concerns and security response
Subsequently, the All India Medical Students’ Association urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate diplomatic action to ensure justice and safety for Indian students studying abroad. The group highlighted growing concerns among Indian medical students in Russia following the incident.
Reacting to the attack, Bashkortostan head Radiy Khabirov announced tighter security measures at universities across the region. He also said authorities were prepared to fund travel for victims’ family members to Russia if necessary.
On Monday, Khabirov told a government meeting that the stabbing was an isolated case and did not indicate widespread neo-Nazism. He emphasized that the region maintains peaceful relations among different nationalities.
Russia has seen several knife attacks in schools this winter. In December, a ninth-grade student fatally stabbed a 10-year-old Tajik boy near Moscow in a case widely believed to be racially motivated.
