About two persons from Kerala forced into Russia-Ukraine war return home

Thiruvananthapuram: Two persons from Kerala who returned home safe after being recruited into the Russian army by private agencies narrated their harrowing experience in the Russia-Ukraine war zone and urged authorities to help repatriate two others facing similar circumstances.

Prince and David Muthappan, two Thiruvananthapuram residents, returned to Kerala in the last two days.

Muthappan, who reached Thiruvananthapuram central railway station after giving his statement to Central government agencies in New Delhi, spoke to the media on Wednesday night.

They were forced to fight against the Ukrainian army in the ongoing war.

Muthappan said he never expected to return home alive.

“After receiving basic training, we were taken directly to the war front to commence fighting. Wherever we looked, we saw numerous bodies scattered around the area,” Muthappan told the media.

Prince, who arrived a day earlier, said he was injured and was admitted to a Russian hospital for over 30 days.

He said two of his friends, Vineeth and Tinu, are still in the war zone.

“The situation was bad. We couldn’t make calls due to the risk of signal tracking and potential missile strikes targeting those locations,” Prince said. The Anchuthengu native added he was injured and had to crawl over three kilometres to safety.

“After training, we were sent to the war front in three tanks. I was shot while Vineeth fell into a ditch and became safe. I somehow managed to reach him. We crawled for more than three kilometres and got admitted to a hospital,”

Prince added.