Kerala man who sought rescue from Russian mercenaries dies, confirms Indian embassy

The Indian Embassy has confirmed the death of Binil Babu from Thrissur, who was trapped in a Russian mercenary group. His family was informed about his passing after he succumbed to injuries from a shell attack in Ukraine.

Thrissur: The Indian Embassy has confirmed the death of Binil Babu (32), a native of Kuttanellur, Thrissur, who was trapped in a Russian mercenary group. Binil's family reported receiving the official communication from the Embassy. Jain, who was with Binil, had informed the family that Binil suffered critical injuries from gunshot wounds in Ukraine. The death occurred amidst ongoing efforts to rescue and repatriate victims of human trafficking.

Meanwhile, Jain, a native of Kuranchery in Thrissur who was with Binil Babu, has managed to reach Moscow, the capital of Russia, from Russian-occupied Ukraine. Jain informed his family about his arrival in Moscow through a WhatsApp call. He had also sustained injuries in the shell attack in Ukraine and received treatment at a local hospital for some time. Two days ago, he was transferred to a hospital in Moscow, where he sent photos of himself to his family members.

Through a family acquaintance, Binil and Jain traveled to Russia last April. They were told they would be working as electricians, but it later became clear that they were trapped in a dire situation. A Malayali agent in Russia had deceived them, leading to their forced involvement with a mercenary group.  Another member of their group, Sandeep from Thrikkur, was also killed in the conflict.