2 Kerala Men Forced Into Russia-Ukraine War Return Home, Urge Repatriation for Others

Thiruvananthapuram: Two individuals from Kerala have safely returned home after being recruited by private agencies into the Russian Army amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Narrating their distressing ordeal, the individuals identified as Prince and David Muthappan urged authorities to assist in repatriating two others, Vineeth and Tinu, who remain trapped in the war zone.

David, speaking to the media after arriving at Thiruvananthapuram central railway station from New Delhi, recounted their forced participation in the Russia-Ukraine war. He expressed disbelief at surviving the horrors, stating that upon receiving basic training, they were immediately thrust into the battlefield where they saw countless casualties.

Prince, who arrived earlier and spent over 30 days in a Russian hospital due to injuries sustained, shared his account of the perilous situation. He highlighted the communication challenges and recounted his harrowing journey to safety, crawling over 3 kilometres after sustaining injuries. Both Prince and Muthappan described the gruesome scenes of seeing mutilated bodies in the war zone.

Prince disclosed that they underwent one month of weapon training, including handling AK-47s, RPGs, grenades, and smoke grenades. He mentioned paying Rs 7 lakh to an individual named Priyan, who recruited them under the guise of security personnel employment.

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan assured ongoing efforts by the Indian government to repatriate stranded Indians, with plans for legal action against the recruiting agencies responsible for deceiving individuals with the promise of lucrative jobs in Russia.

Relatives of the individuals confirmed that they were lured to Russia by recruitment agencies with promises of high salaries. Investigations into these agencies have been initiated by the authorities.