After another Indian killed at warfront, govt says working to get back all nationals fighting for Russian Army

The Indian Express had reported Monday that a Kerala man on the frontlines had been killed while his relative sustained serious injuries. The deceased person has been identified as Binil T B, 32, a resident of Wadakkanchery in Kerala’s Thrissur district. The injured person is Jain T K, 27, who also comes from the same region. A few days ago, Binil’s family received a message that the two men were injured in a drone attack, but could not establish contact.

On Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have learnt of the unfortunate death of an Indian national from Kerala who had apparently been recruited to serve in the Russian Army. Another Indian national from Kerala, who was similarly recruited, has been injured and is receiving treatment in a hospital in Moscow.”

He said: “We offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. Our Embassy in Moscow is in touch with the families, and all possible assistance is being rendered. We are working with the Russian authorities for early transportation of the mortal remains to India. We have also sought the early discharge and repatriation to India of the injured person.”

Jaiswal said the matter has been “strongly taken up” with authorities in Moscow as well as the Russian Embassy in New Delhi. “We have also reiterated our demand for the early discharge of the remaining Indian nationals,” the MEA’s official spokesperson said.

Earlier, Saneesh, a relative of the two men, had said: “Binil’s wife Joicy, who has been in touch with the Indian Embassy in Moscow, got the information. When she called officials, they verbally confirmed that Binil had died. The officials said they had information in this regard from the Russian Army.”

This is the second death of a Kerala resident while fighting for the Russian army after being promised jobs as military support staff. In August last year, Thrissur resident Sandeep was killed in a drone attack.

Binil and Jain were among several Indian youths who had travelled to Russia in April in the hopes of being employed in the country’s military support service as electricians, cooks, plumbers and drivers. Instead, they were made to give up their Indian passports and take permanent residence, conscripted into the Russian army, and pushed to the frontlines of the war.

Speaking about Indian citizens who were recruited into the Russian army, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said in October, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Kazan for the BRICS summit: “We have been in very close touch with our interlocutors in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence of Russia on this issue of Indians who were illegally or otherwise contracted into fighting in the Russian army. This matter was taken up at the highest levels including by the Prime Minister with President Putin. Our understanding at the present moment, as per present information, is that about 85 people have returned from Russia. Unfortunately, we have also had the return of some mortal remains of people who lost their lives during the conflict. Our understanding is that nearly 20 people still remain and we are pressing our interlocutors for the early discharge of all remaining Indians in the armed forces there.”