THRISSUR: As the Russia–Ukraine war continues with all its devastation, the family of Binil, who died while serving on the Russian frontline after falling prey to a trafficking racket, is still waiting to repatriate his mortal remains.
It has been over seven months since reports from Russia confirmed the death of Binil. Since then, his family has been running from one office to another, hoping to see him one last time.
Binil T B, a native of Wadakkanchery, took a flight to Russia on 24 April, 2024, along with his friends. They had been promised jobs as electricians in Moscow. But things allegedly took a turn for the worse soon after.
Binil was moved to a military settlement, where his passport and documents were confiscated. In the initial days, they were instructed to supply food and essential items to the settlement. But by June 2024, they were sent to the frontline.
Binil and Jain were assigned to one military regiment, while another group, including two Malayalis, Santhosh and Sandeep, was sent to a different location. Sandeep died in a shell attack in August 2025. According to Jain Kurien, who returned from Russia in May 2025, “I saw him last in the morning on 5 January, 2025. On 6 January, I was transferred to another regiment and on the way, I saw him lying motionless following a drone attack. I was also injured in a similar attack on the way and was hospitalised. When Sandeep died, his body was brought to Moscow within two weeks of the incident. But in the case of Binil, we don’t know where the mortal remains are kept,” he said.
Binil’s father Babu, a tailor, said, “It has been difficult to manage things. I have been visiting all possible offices to bring my son back. I have gone to Thiruvananthapuram four times already, spoken to the authorities including Norka and the Russian Embassy. I also sent letters to the Ministry of External Affairs, MoS Suresh Gopi, the Chief Minister’s Office, etc. However, we are yet to receive a positive reply as to when his body can be repatriated,” said Babu, adding that he is not even able to focus on work.
Joicy and Binil became parents to a son on 13 August, 2024. While the child will celebrate his first birthday this year, the family continues to live in uncertainty. Binil had not even seen his own son. Whether the one-year-old will ever see his father Binil, even in death, remains a question. Following instructions from the Indian Embassy, DNA samples of Binil’s family were taken at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram. Working as a nurse in a private hospital, Joicy has been waiting for a positive response regarding Binil’s repatriation. “We don’t know what to do next, as all efforts to bring back his mortal remains have reached a dead end,” said Joicy. When Binil left for Russia, Joicy was carrying their first child.
“The last communication we got was from the Thrissur District Collector, saying the DNA samples were sent to embassy authorities two weeks ago,” added Babu.
Norka Roots CEO Ajith Kollaserry responded that they were trying all possible ways to move things forward amid the ongoing war in Russia.
“There are limitations for using diplomatic channels due to the war. From what we know, the Russian military had reported that Binil was missing. After one year, the Russian military will file an affidavit in court there, based on which a death certificate can be issued. We are trying to repatriate his mortal remains, but there is no communication from the military so far,” he said.