
THRISSUR: Within the space of six months, another Keralite who ended up fighting on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war has lost his life. Binil Babu, 31, who belongs to Kuttanellur in Thrissur district, was killed in a Ukraine shell attack on the Russian army.
His death was confirmed by the Indian Embassy officials when his wife, Joicy, contacted them to know the status of the repatriation measures.
Binil, who spent more than five years in Oman working as an electrician, took a flight to Russia in April 2024. It was an extended family member who offered Binil a job abroad. “At first, this relative told us the job was in Poland. But later it was changed to Russia. We trusted his words and decided to take the offer amid the confusion,” said Saneesh, Binil’s relative.
Binil’s relative Jain, who is from Wadakkanchery, sustained injuries in the same attack and is under treatment in Russia.
Three other Keralites who went along with Binil was repatriated successfully last September, after the death of Sandeep Chandran, who too was from Thrissur. “We are awaiting communication from the Indian Embassy on bringing back Binil’s body,” Saneesh added.
The Binil-Joicy couple has a five-month-old baby.
Though Joicy approached all possible political leaders and sent emails to all authorities concerned, the efforts to bring back Binil failed. Complaints were lodged with Union Minister Suresh Gopi, Alathur MP K Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister’s Office, Prime Minister’s Office, Office of the External Affairs Minister, Indian Embassy, etc. It is suspected that though the paperwork for repatriation was ready with the Indian Embassy, the Russian army authorities who controlled the unit where Binil worked did not allow him to leave.
‘Didn’t know we were being recruited to fight for Russia’
One of the three persons who were repatriated from Russia, Santhosh, said they had little hope of seeing homeland again.
“Such was the kind of shelling happening at the place where we stayed. Whenever we got a signal, we hid in deserted buildings,” said Santhosh, who was among a group of five Keralites who went to Russia on job offers.“We were given a month’s training in a camp there. At first, we thought we will be working in a canteen or some other facility. We were unaware that we were being recruited to fight for the Russian army,” he said.
It was after Sandeep Chandran’s death that Malayalis living in Russia tried to get in touch with Santhosh and his friends.