Thiruvananthapuram: V.D. Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Kerala Assembly, has reached out to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, urging immediate intervention to repatriate three Kerala men currently stranded in Ukraine. These individuals were reportedly coerced into fighting for the Russian Army in the ongoing conflict. Satheesan also called for an investigation into the recruitment agencies involved in illegal trafficking.
Expressing deep concern, Satheesan stated, “It is distressing to hear that three young men from Kerala are among those stuck in the war-torn region of Ukraine, having been deceived with the promise of lucrative employment in Russia, only to find themselves embroiled in the conflict.”
According to Satheesan, the relatives of the three men revealed that they were initially taken to Russia by a recruitment agency under the pretext of a substantial salary offer of Rs 2.5 lakh. However, upon arrival, their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, and they were compelled to participate in the hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. Some of them are reported to be injured, raising grave concerns about their safety.
Satheesan highlighted the possibility of a larger trafficking network exploiting young men by enticing them to work in Russia and subsequently deploying them in war zones. He implored the External Affairs Minister to exert every possible effort to rescue those stranded in combat areas and to launch a thorough investigation into these recruitment agencies involved in illicit trafficking.
