Representative image of a gun. Many Keralites are allegedly forced to be part of the Russian military for the ongoing war with Ukraine.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Many Malayali youths lured by jobs with attractive salaries in war torn Russia are now suffering hardships after they were allegedly forced to be part of the Russian military for the ongoing war with Ukraine.
Some of them suffered injuries and are not even getting proper treatment. Some Indians were earlier reported killed too.
While three youth from Anjuthengu coastal areas on the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram, who are now stranded in Russia, had narrated the other day the hardship they are facing, family of a youth from Poovar in the coastal area of Thiruvananthapuram also narrated similar plight on Sunday.
David from Poovar suffered leg injuries while fighting with Ukraine forces at the border areas. Some Indians along with him were also feared killed. David's family said that he did not even get proper treatment. Now he is at a refugee camp attached to a church.
The three youths from Anchuthengu, Prince, Tinu and Vineeth, are also going through difficult times. Prince reportedly suffered head injury in the attack.
The CBI had carried out raids at various premises in Kerala as part of a probe against the agencies that made recruitments to the war torn region. Many of the agents are absconding. All the youths, aged around 25, had gone to Russia through agents who offered security jobs with attractive remuneration of around Rs. 2 lakh per month and even Russian citizenship. The agents had collected Rs. 7 lakh from each.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to external affairs miniters S Jaishankar the otherday seeking immediate steps to ensure safe repatriation of the Indians stranded in Russia. The CBI is learnt to be making efforts through the Interpol to bring back the Indians stranded in the war torn regions. Many of them even lost their passports.
Recently a Malayali youth Pat Nibin Maxwell, 31, hailing from Kollam died in a missile attack near the Israel-Lebanon border. Many others from the locality, including his brother, have also taken up jobs in the war torn region in the recent months after getting attracted by the remunerations.