Seriously injured in drone attack that killed relative, Kerala man who fought in Ukraine war finally back home from Russia
Jain T K (27), a native of Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district, was lucky to survive a drone attack early January in which his relative, Binil T B (32), died. Binil's body is yet to reach Indian authorities in Moscow for repatriation to Kerala.
Seriously injured, Jain had been under treatment in Moscow for the last four months. Fearing he would be sent back to the war front after treatment, Jain made several distress calls, which then led to the Indian embassy getting involved and his eventual return to Delhi and finally Kerala.
Jain said, 'We were injured on January 6 near Rostov-on Don, which is around 1,000 km from Moscow. I had sustained injuries in my stomach and had undergone multiple surgeries at a hospital in Moscow, where those injured in the war front were treated. On April 22, I was told to go back to the military camp as all other persons discharged from the hospital were asked to do. Fearing death on the war front, I informed the family and the embassy on April 22, which led to my release.'
He said he has no idea where Binil's mortal remains are.
Binil and Jain were among several Indians who 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, take permanent residence, get conscripted into the Russian Army and work on the frontlines of the war. In August last year, one such recruit from Kerala named Sandeep died in a drone attack.
Since then, Binil and Jain had been desperately trying to get home. They had also sent several voice messages, saying their lives were in danger and that they were forced to move to the frontlines.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
August 12, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Punjab poll decision
The government will take a political decision some time this week on the holding of elections in Punjab and whether this should be done by the end of September before the expiry of President's Rule in the state on October 5 or in early December. Indications so far are for an early poll. In the Akali Dal, a section led by Balwant Singh is in favour of an early poll while two stalwarts Parkash Singh Badal and G S Tohra want it to be delayed for some time. In the Congress (I) at the high command level, opinion is still divided, too. Hope in Assam While Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi arrived in Guwahati for the first time since he took office, a five-member joint delegation of AASU-AAGSP reached Delhi to participate in the crucial round of talks to resolve the foreign nationals problem in the state. Though the PM is in the city for the centenary celebrations of the Congress (I), the speculation is that he is going to announce a package of programmes for faster development of the state. The agitation leaders have not given a bandh call so far. Strife in Durban A peace rally attended by a handful of Indians and thousands of chanting Zulus with spears, shields and guns broke up in chaos as racial strife continued to rage in this township north of Durban. At least 65 have died in a week of bloodshed and anarchy in which Indians have been driven from their homes and rival Blackpolitical groups have dashed. Hospital officials said the death toll had risen by another 10 overnight but police said the townships around Durban were relatively calm. Union Carbide leak At least 100 people were injured when toxic fumes from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in West Virginia leaked into the atmosphere, local officials said. The officials said the fumes contained the gas methyl isocyanate (MIC), which killed more than 2,500 people in Bhopal. Kent Carper, director of emergency services at nearby Charleston said eight workers inside the plant had been the hardest hit.
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Express View: For end to conflict between Russia and Ukraine, all parties need to be on the table
There is a symbolism to the location of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that speaks to the broader picture three-and-a-half years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Alaska, once part of Russia, was sold to the US in the 19th century and is an important piece in the countries' shared history. Geographically, it is the closest point between Russia and America. But the venue also frames an absence: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not be present at the meeting, nor will any of the US's European allies, who view Putin's alleged expansionism as a direct threat. A statement by Italy, France, Germany, Poland and the European Commission welcomed the meeting, while insisting that 'the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine'. While Trump has said that 'some swapping of territories to the betterment of both [Russia and Ukraine]' may be necessary to resolve the conflict, Zelenskyy has insisted that 'Ukraine will not gift their land to the occupier'. For Moscow — unlike its past adventures in Georgia and Crimea — Ukraine has turned out to be a protracted conflict with severe economic, political and manpower costs. Rather than fortifying Russia's standing on the global stage, the conflict has made it more dependent on China. Its actions have also united much of Europe and led to an expansion of NATO, diminishing rather than enhancing Russia's security. Ukraine has received considerable monetary and strategic support from the West — but the war is taking its toll. The change of guard in Washington has also made the US's support more conditional and uncertain. In fact, the drive from the Trump administration to end the conflict has as much to do with domestic politics as it does with America's strategic interests. Throughout his election campaign last year, Trump insisted that the conflict was avoidable and that he would end the war and ensure a 'deal' between the two countries as president. The continuing conflict hurts Trump with the MAGA base, and his growing frustration with Putin has been evident in his social media posts, including those that threatened sanctions. The repercussions of the Ukraine conflict have been felt beyond Europe. Supply chains of essentials, including food and fuel, were disrupted. New Delhi has consistently been a voice for peace through dialogue in the region and has welcomed the Alaska meeting. This moral stand is also practical: India faces an additional 25 per cent tariff from the US, ostensibly because it purchases Russian oil. However, given the hard stands taken by Moscow and Kyiv, and the absence of Ukraine and Europe in Alaska, it is important to temper the expectations of Friday's meeting. That said, a concrete proposal for a ceasefire and a well-laid-out roadmap to peace could move the needle significantly.
Mint
10 minutes ago
- Mint
Trump to meet Putin to see ‘what he has in mind' as Russia continues to bomb Ukraine: ‘Within 2 minutes…'
Just days before his high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump said he is going there to 'see what he has in mind,' while also declaring that he would know 'in first two minutes' whether a deal to halt the Ukraine war can be done. Donald Trump said he's going to walk out of the Alaska meeting if there is no deal and 'that would be the end of it,' he said. Addressing a press conference at the White House, Donald Trump said, 'At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made.' He said he thought Friday's sitdown with Putin in Alaska would be 'really a feel-out meeting.' Trump added that 'it'll be good, but it might be bad' and predicted he may say, "lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal.' 'I'm going to see what he has in mind. I may leave and say good luck, and that'll be the end,' Donald Trump said. The US President also reiterated his plan to pursue the 'land swaps' offer during the meeting with his Russian counterpart as he also dismissed what Ukraine wants. During the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had asserted that the country's Constitution bars ceding territory to an invader. He has, so far, not been invited to participate in the Trump-Putin talks. Vladimir Putin wants to lock in Russia's gains since invading Ukraine in February 2022 as Trump presses for a ceasefire. Trump's eagerness to reach a deal has raised fears in Ukraine and Europe about such an agreement favoring Russia, without sufficient input from Ukraine. Donald Trump has alternately harshly criticized both leaders after promising – and so far failing – to swiftly end the conflict – something he claimed he would do in 24 hours after taking over the presidency. Donald Trump also said that after his meeting with Vladimir Putin, 'The next meeting will be with Zelenskyy and Putin,' but it could also be a meeting with 'Putin and Zelenskyy and me.'
