Overview

• Binil Babu, a 32-year-old from Kerala, died after being forced to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, having been misled by false job offers in April 2024.
• Another Indian national, Jain TK, who was injured in the conflict, is recovering in a Moscow hospital; efforts are underway to bring him back to India.
• The Indian government has strongly urged Russia to release and repatriate all Indian nationals trapped in similar circumstances, following multiple such incidents.
• Binil and Jain were initially assigned non-combat roles but were later sent to the frontlines with minimal training and resources, according to their families.
• This marks at least the ninth death of an Indian national in the Russian Army since 2024, raising concerns over the exploitation of foreign workers in conflict zones.