Is It Safe to Study MBBS in Russia Now? What the Advisories Say
Russia is at war, and that matters when you send a student there. The risk is not equal everywhere: the Indian Embassy in Moscow advised Indians in Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk to relocate in August 2024, airports in several cities are closed or restricted, and Moscow airports were restricted by drone attacks on 9 October 2026. This post sets out what the official sources say, what happened to Indian students, and how a Kerala family can weigh the risk.
In short: there is no single answer for the whole country. Russia is in an armed conflict with Ukraine, drone attacks reach cities far from the border, and airports are closed or restricted at short notice. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia (updated 18 September 2026). The Embassy of India in Moscow advised Indians in the Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions on 14 August 2024 to take precautions and temporarily relocate; we found no later withdrawal. Most Indian students are in cities far from the border, and everyday safety is mostly about water, nights and scams, but a family must accept a real risk of disruption and make a plan. We do not call Russia safe or unsafe; we list what is known.
What the Indian government has said
The most specific official statement we could verify is from the Embassy of India in Moscow. On 14 August 2024, as reported by All India Radio, the Embassy advised Indian nationals in the Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions to take necessary precautions and temporarily relocate outside those regions in view of recent security incidents. We found no public withdrawal or update in 2025–2026, so the sensible reading is that the advice stands for those regions. The Embassy website sat behind a human-verification screen when we tried to read it, so check it yourself at indianembassy-moscow.gov.in and the travel advisories page of the Ministry of External Affairs (mea.gov.in), which was last updated on 2 June 2026 but loads country text through a map we could not read.
We found no Embassy or MEA advisory that names the North Caucasus republics of Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia, or Stavropol Krai. That is a finding about what we could find, not a statement that those regions carry no risk; see below.
The Embassy has also expanded its presence. India opened Consulates General in Kazan and Yekaterinburg on 19 November 2025. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that the Indian community in Russia includes more than 30,000 students, about 7,000 of them in the jurisdiction of Kazan and about 3,000 in Yekaterinburg. The Consulate General in Kazan sent officials to Ufa after four Indian students were injured there on 7 February 2026, in what the Embassy called "an unfortunate attack" while circumstances were still unclear, according to Siasat's report of 8 February 2026. If your child studies in the Volga region or the Urals, these consulates are the nearest help.
Border regions: Kursk, Belgorod, Bryansk
These regions border Ukraine and are the places where the Embassy asked Indians to relocate. The UK Foreign Office page says there is military activity in Kursk and Belgorod, that Russian authorities introduced a counter-terrorist operation regime in Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk, and that curfews and movement restrictions can be introduced at short notice, especially near the border. The airports of Kursk and Belgorod have had all commercial flights banned since 24 February 2022 under Rosaviatsia restrictions, so a student travels by train from Moscow: about 5.5 hours to Kursk and about 7.3 hours to Belgorod. See the pages for Kursk and Belgorod, and the university pages for Kursk State Medical University and Belgorod State University.
The Embassy's advice was about people living in those regions. A family that is considering a university there should ask the university in writing what it does if the authorities order evacuation, whether classes would move online, and who pays for relocation. NMC rules add a problem that families miss. The Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 require the whole course and internship to be completed in one foreign institution, with no part in India or a third country. A student who has to leave mid-course cannot freely move to another university and still meet the NMC rule, which is why the choice of the university at admission is a six-year commitment.
The North Caucasus
The UK Foreign Office says terrorists are active in the North Caucasus and that attacks have mainly occurred in Dagestan, where at least 20 people were killed in attacks on synagogues, churches and police in June 2024, and that security operations can happen at short notice and lead to travel restrictions. For the airports of Stavropol, Nalchik, Vladikavkaz and Makhachkala Rosaviatsia has imposed short restrictions on flights, including in December 2025 and on 8 May 2026. Several universities in this region (Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Stavropol) are in our fee list, and a family needs to look at the region honestly before it compares fees.
None of this means that students there are harmed in daily life. It means that any fee advantage has to be set against a higher chance of disrupted flights, a harder trip home in an emergency and travel restrictions. If you are choosing between two universities of similar fee and FMGE results, the one outside the border and North Caucasus regions has the lower risk.
Drones, airports and flights home
Drone attacks and Russian air-defence activity are not limited to border regions. The UK Foreign Office says they are reported across Russia, including near large cities in the western and central parts, and can cause short-notice restrictions on airspace and airport operations. On 9 October 2026 all four Moscow airports (Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky) imposed flight restrictions from about 3:40 p.m. local time; Moscow's mayor said air defences destroyed 15 drones approaching the capital, and at Vnukovo more than 40% of flights were delayed, according to the Moscow Times, citing Flightradar24. Most students will meet this as a delayed flight, not as danger to themselves.
What this means for a Kerala family:
- There is no direct flight from Kerala to Russia. Students fly via the Gulf or Delhi to Moscow. A delay or restriction in Moscow can make the trip home take longer, so do not book the return for the day before an exam or a family event.
- Airports in Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don have been closed since February 2022. Krasnodar reopened on 11 September 2025 with limits. Check the airport status for your city on the city pages before choosing a university.
- Keep an emergency reserve for a last-minute flight or train and a plan for who collects your child if the university closes.
- If an alert or air-raid warning sounds, follow the instructions of the university and local authorities; the UK Foreign Office advises taking cover in a building or underground and staying away from windows.
Ask us about the situation in your chosen city
Tell us the university; we tell you what we have verified about the region, the airport status and the safer alternatives on your fee budget.
Everyday safety for Indian students
For most Indian students the more common risks are ordinary ones. The UK Foreign Office says street crime, pickpocketing and theft are common in tourist areas and around major railway stations, that fake police officers have harassed and robbed tourists, and that people of Asian, African or Caribbean descent may receive unwanted attention in public places, particularly late at night. An older MEA advisory for students in Russia says the same in plainer words: be careful at night, avoid moving alone, and keep your passport with you, because the police can ask for it, your visa and your registration at any time. That MEA text is old, so treat it as long-standing advice, not a 2026 assessment.
Practical habits that matter:
- Travel in groups at night and use registered taxis or the metro.
- Carry a copy of your passport, visa and registration; keep the originals safe in the hostel.
- If a police officer asks for documents, ask to see identification and call the university's international office.
- Save the numbers of the university's international office, the nearest Indian consulate and the Embassy.
- Register on the MADAD student module of the Ministry of External Affairs so that the Embassy can reach you.
Water, lakes and rivers: a risk that has already cost lives
Two of the worst events involving Indian students were not about war. In June 2023 two Malayali final-year MBBS students drowned in a lake near Smolensk State Medical University, one after slipping into the water while taking a photograph and the other while trying to rescue her, according to Onmanorama. In June 2024 four Indian students studying in Veliky Novgorod drowned in the Volkhov River near the city, and reports said the Embassy of India in Moscow asked students to be extremely careful near water bodies. Do not swim in rivers and lakes in an unfamiliar place, especially in spring when ice is thin and the water is fast and cold, and do not take photographs at the edge of water or ice.
Job offers and military recruitment
The Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly warned Indians against offers to join the Russian armed forces. On 11 September 2025 its spokesperson urged Indians to stay away from such offers, calling them fraught with danger, and the issue was taken up with the Russian authorities, according to All India Radio. Press reports say a fresh MEA advisory followed in late September or early October 2026; we could not read its text, so we do not quote its figures. These warnings are about job and contract offers, not about medical students. Still, a student short of money can be approached. The rule for your child: do not sign any contract, job or "support service" offer that you have not shown to your parents and the university first, and never agree to anything connected with the military.
How a Kerala family can weigh the risk
- Look at the map first. Prefer a city that is not in the Bryansk, Belgorod or Kursk regions, nor in the North Caucasus. The Volga, Urals and Siberian cities and Moscow and Saint Petersburg are further from the border, though not free of drone alerts.
- Check the airport. A working airport or a short train from Moscow helps in an emergency.
- Ask for the plan. What would the university do in a closure? Is there an emergency contact?
- Talk to Indian students there now, preferably from Kerala, and ask what the city is like this month.
- Decide with your parents together. If the family cannot accept the possibility of an interrupted course, consider options in India or other countries; see the Kerala vs Russia comparison and the MBBS in Russia vs India post.
Our university pages give the region, fees and FMGE results for each university, and the Malayali student life post covers daily life.
Compare universities by region and fee
Tell us your budget; we list universities outside the border regions with their FMGE results.
Is MBBS in Russia Safe? Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe for Indian students to study MBBS in Russia in 2026?
It depends on the region. Russia is in an armed conflict, drone attacks and airport restrictions reach many cities, and the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia. The Indian Embassy advised relocation from Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk in August 2024. Many students live in cities far from the border, but the risk of disruption is real.
Which Russian regions should Indian students avoid?
The Indian Embassy in Moscow advised Indians in Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk on 14 August 2024 to take precautions and temporarily relocate. We found no Indian advisory naming the North Caucasus, but the UK Foreign Office reports terrorist activity there, mainly in Dagestan. Check mea.gov.in and the Embassy website before you choose.
Are flights to Russian cities affected by drones?
Yes. All four Moscow airports imposed flight restrictions on 9 October 2026, and airports in Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don have been closed since February 2022. Restrictions at other airports are short and unannounced. Keep flexible dates for travel home.
Is Russia safe for Indian girls studying MBBS?
We found no Russia-specific official data on safety of Indian women students. The general advice applies: travel in groups at night, use registered taxis, keep documents safe and share your location with family. Ask the university about hostel security and the curfew rules.
What should students do in an emergency in Russia?
Call the university's international office first, then the nearest Indian Embassy or consulate. India has the Embassy in Moscow, consulates in Saint Petersburg and Vladivostok, and new Consulates General in Kazan and Yekaterinburg opened on 19 November 2025. Register on the MADAD student module before you need help.
Can a student transfer to another university if the situation worsens?
Not easily. The NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 require the whole course and internship in one foreign institution, with no part in India or a third country. Ask the university what its plan is, and discuss any transfer with the NMC before you act.
Sources: Embassy of India, Moscow, advisory of 14 August 2024 as reported by All India Radio (newsonair.gov.in); Ministry of External Affairs travel advisories page (mea.gov.in, last updated 2 June 2026; country text not readable); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice for Russia, updated 18 September 2026 (gov.uk); The Moscow Times, 9 October 2026, on Moscow airport restrictions; Siasat, 8 February 2026, on the attack in Ufa; Onmanorama, 26 June 2023, on the drowning near Smolensk; reports of June 2024 on the Volkhov River drowning (Deccan Chronicle, ETV Bharat, WION); remarks by External Affairs Minister on the Consulates General in Kazan and Yekaterinburg, 19 November 2025 (All India Radio, Deccan Herald); MEA statement of 11 September 2025 on recruitment (All India Radio); older MEA "Advisory for Indian students going abroad for education: Russian Federation"; NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021; airport status from our city data (Wikipedia airport pages and Russian press, August–September 2026). Checked October 2026. Situations change daily; read current advisories before every trip.