Indian killed in Russia war zone: ‘Said he was fine in last call, did not reveal work’

Hemil’s father Ashwin Mangukiya, who works in an embroidery unit, is distraught. “We humbly request our government to talk to the Russian authorities and get the body of my son to his home town Surat. He died on 21st February. We don’t even know where his body is and neither do we have any contact details of others to whom we can reach out to. We are helpless,” Ashwin told The Indian Express between long pauses.

According to him, Hemil last spoke to him on February 20, a day before he was killed. Hemil told him he was fine but did not reveal the exact nature of his job. The family only knew he worked as a “helper” in Russia. It was only later that they found out that Hemil had been “inducted into the war zone” on the Ukraine border.

Hemil Mangukiya, 23, died in a missile strike on February 21

Ashwin said the news of Hemil’s death reached them on February 23. “Someone who identified himself as Imran, a resident of Hyderabad, whose brother was also with Hemil, called us on Friday (February 23) at 6 pm and informed us about his death in a missile attack in the war zone,” he said.

“He shared details of the incident and we were totally shocked. We had a talk with Hemil on the night of February 20 and he was all fine. When we asked him about what kind of work he was doing, he did not reveal much,”Ashwin said.

A family source said Hemil left studies after Class 12 and started a small embroidery business with his cousins. According to his father, Hemil later came in contact with agents through a website who were offering jobs like “helpers and labourers” in Russia.

“Hemil made his passport and told us about the job with a monthly salary of `2 lakh. He was told to do helper work in Russia. He left for Russia on December 14, 2023 and remained in contact with us regularly,” said his father.

“We allowed him to go and work abroad so that we would not face financial constraints. He also wanted to earn more money so that he would save it for his marriage and also start his own business in Surat. He also asked me not to worry about money and assured me that he will take care of all the family responsibilities,” Ashwin said.

“We have come to know that after working for a few days, he was told to sign a document written in Russian language and later he was inducted into the warzone with a rifle. He wanted to return, and had talked to the agents as well as his superior officers in the Russian military, but nobody listened to him,” he said.

Hemil’s uncle Atul Mangukiya said, “We don’t know what to do. We humbly request our government to help us and get the body back to Surat. Our government had helped thousands of Indian students stranded in the universities in Ukraine and brought them home safely.”
Hailing from Paldi village in Bhavnagar district, Ashwin migrated to Surat like several other Patidars to earn a living around 30 years ago. After working for a few years in the diamond industry, he moved to textiles and has been working with an embroidery unit in Kapodara area of Surat for the past 10 years. He lives with his wife and his younger son Ramesh, 20, a second year B.Com student.