'Was Forced to Fight': Family of Kerala Man Binil TB Who Died Fighting Russia-Ukraine War

New Delhi: Binil TB, an Indian man died during the Russia-Ukraine war last week. Following this tragic incident, Binil TB's family in an exclusive conversation with Republic Media Network revealed that they were “forced to fight the war.”

“I am Jain's mother. Yesterday he spoke to us and said he is hospitalized and unable to speak much. He told Binil is dead. He said he saw the body...We had written and appealed to politicians and MPs but they couldn't bring my son and Binil back..." Jessy, a family member said.

Binil TB, a resident of Kuttanellur in Kerala 's Thrissur district succumbed to his gun wounds last week. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officially confirmed the devastating news to the country and his family.

Meanwhile, his brother Jain TK survived the injuries. In a heart-wrenching moment, the 27-year-old was able to contact the family on WhatsApp to inform them about his arrival in Moscow.

Who Was Binil TB?

Binil TB was a 32-year-old man, hailing from Kerala's Kuttanellur had been trapped in a war zone since June 2024. TB along with Jain were allegedly recruited illegally by a Russian mercenary agency after they were promised jobs as electricians by it that brought them to Russia.

Binil was a mechanical diploma holder who travelled to Russia in April 2024, to work as an electrician. He fled to Russia along with Jain on private visas arranged by their relative who had already been serving in the Russian military.

However, after arriving in Russia their passports were confiscated and both were directly sent to a war zone as part of the Russian Military Support Service, his family claimed.

As per sources, at first, their responsibilities involved distributing food and supplies to soldiers stationed at the war front. However, due to lack of personnel, both were provided with weapons and were given minimal training to fight on the frontline.

In an emotional voice message last month, Binil said, "The situation has worsened, and we have been told to go to the war front today. They instructed us to send a message home before leaving. Please inform everyone else."