Kerala youth trapped in Russia-Ukraine war zone repatriated to India

David Muthappan, a native of Thiruvananthapuram who was stuck in Russia's war zone reached Delhi on Sunday (Mar 31). He will reportedly be sent to Kerala in the next two days after the CBI records his statement.

Aishwarya Nair

First Published Mar 31, 2024, 9:44 AM IST | Last Updated Mar 31, 2024, 9:44 AM IST

A youth from Thiruvananthapuram, identified as David Muthappan who was trapped in the Russia-Ukraine war front after being cheated by a fake recruitment agency, has returned to India. The Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) office in New Delhi gave the information of his arrival to his family around 6.15 am on Sunday (Mar 31). The CBI also informed the relatives that he would be brought to Kerala two days after the statement was recorded.

In addition to David, three more individuals from Thiruvananthapuram are stranded in Russia.

David approached the agency after seeing an advertisement for a security job shared on WhatsApp. He reached Delhi with the help of an agent and from there he was taken to Russia. After training, he was forced to join the Russian army.

Asianet News previously reported that in January, Prince, Tinu and Vineeth went to Russia through an agent named Priyan, a native of Thumba for security work. Each of them paid an amount of Rs 7 lakh to the agent. The families of the three men claim that they were lured to Russia by a recruitment agency with promises of a lucrative salary of Rs 2.5 lakh. Upon arrival, their passports and mobile phones were confiscated.

After the news, Union Minister V Muraleedharan, Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition intervened. According to reports, not only from Kerala but also from other states, middlemen have brought more people to the war front in Russia.

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