THRISSUR: A 31-year-old man from Thrissur, Kerala, who was allegedly forced to fight for Russia in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, is believed to have been killed in action. The family of Binil Babu, a native of Kuttanellur, received the information via a verbal message from the Indian Embassy in Russia.
According to family sources, embassy officials informed Binil’s wife, Joicy, that he was killed by Ukrainian forces. However, there has been no official confirmation or details on when, where, or how he died. The Non-Resident Keralite Affairs (NoRKA) department also confirmed that repeated attempts to obtain official communication from the embassy have been unsuccessful.
Binil’s cousin, Jain Kurien, 27, from Kuranchery near Wadakkanchery, is another youth from the district caught in the conflict. Jain has reportedly been injured in battle, undergone surgery, and was shifted to Moscow for further treatment.
Both Binil and Jain had traveled to Russia on April 4 last year, seeking employment opportunities through a relative. Despite being promised jobs in canteens by an agent, the opportunities did not materialize. Consequently, they were forced to acquire Russian citizenship and conscript into the Russian army.
The two men had contacted their families on December 16, 2024, warning that they were being deployed to the warfront and might not survive. Efforts to secure their release were made, including interventions by Baselios Marthoma Mathews III Catholicos, the head of the Orthodox Syrian Church, who appealed directly to the Russian Ambassador to India.
The news of Binil’s death has devastated his family. His wife, Joicy, gave birth to their child five months ago, a child Binil never met. This is not the first tragedy from the district linked to the conflict—another youth, Sandeep Chandran from Kallur Nayarangadi, was killed in Russia in mid-August last year.
The lack of official communication has left Binil’s family in anguish, as they await confirmation and closure.
