Kerala man forced to fight in Russia-Ukraine conflict shares video
What's the story
A 32-year-old Kerala man, Jain Kurien, has posted a heartbreaking video explaining how he was forced to enlist as a Russian mercenary in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
In the video, Kurien explains how he was forced to join the fight while delivering supplies to the frontline.
He is currently hospitalized in Moscow after being injured in a shell attack.
Coerced enlistment
Forced into combat while delivering supplies
Kurien, a native of Kuranchery in Thrissur, had gone to Russia for work in the first place.
He and a Kuttanellur native, Binil Babu, were among a group of people hired to work in a canteen.
However, they ended up in the war zone and were forced to fight while supplying food and water to the frontline.
Embassy contact
Contract cancelation and plea for help
Before the attack, Kurien had contacted the Indian embassy for help. He was told that his contract was canceled three months ago.
"We contacted Ramkumar Sir at the embassy informing about this. Sir told us that our contract was canceled three months ago itself," he said in his video message.
Despite this, their commander said their contract was still active pending an order from the Defense Ministry.
Tragic loss
Fellow worker killed on warfront, family informed
Kurien's fellow worker, Binil Babu, was unfortunately killed on the war front. The Indian embassy communicated this devastating news to his family.
Kurien is undergoing treatment in a Moscow hospital after he was injured in a shell attack. He was able to make a WhatsApp call to his family three days ago, telling them about his condition and begging for help.