Despite war, Keralite youths continue to flock to Russia

A mine-laying unmanned ground vehicle with anti-tank landmines installed on it operates in Kharkiv region amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine January 13, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Jain Kurian, 27, (Indian Passport No: V4211068) from Kuranchery in Thrissur embarked on a journey to Bahrain on April 4, 2024, along with his brother-in-law Binil Babu in search of employment. The journey ended in Moscow, Russia, where they were issued Russian passports. Mr. Kurian was offered a job as a cook in the Russian Army. Later, they were taken to the Russia-Ukraine warfront. Binil was killed in a shell attack, while Jain was seriously injured and admitted to a hospital in Moscow.

Jessy Kurian, mother of Jain, said he was initially offered a job in Poland and was later taken to Russia. At the army camp, there were six Keralites, of whom Sandeep Chandran, 36, from Thrissur was killed in a shell attack in Ukraine in August 2024. After Sandeep’s death, three in the group were repatriated, while two stayed back. Of the two, Binil was killed in January. “We had been trying since August 2024 to get them back to India,” says Ms. Kurian.

The two Keralites who were killed were semi-skilled electricians and Jain was a mechanic. Though the incidents shed light on the illegal recruitments from Kerala, the authorities are helpless as Keralite youths continue to flock to Russia in search of jobs, only to be trapped in the network of illegal recruiters.

According to Binu Panicker, president, All Moscow Malayalees Association, an outfit that is working for the welfare of Keralites in Russia since 1998, the association hardly had 180 Malayali members till recently. However, around 100 people joined in 2024 alone, while another 50 applications are under scrutiny. Most Keralites arriving in Russia are on visiting or students visas or specifically designed visas for Highly Qualified Specialists (HQS), allowing them to work in Russia for up to three years.

Mostly cleaning, hotel and godown works are offered to people from countries like India. Their salary comes to around ₹40,000 to ₹50,000, barely enough to survive. Soon they will be offered a salary of ₹3 lakh in the Russian army with a Russian passport and citizenship. Initially, they would be asked to do the backend jobs of the Army, and later they would be taken to the war front, said Mr. Panicker.

According to Ajith Kolassery, Chief Executive Officer of NoRKA-Roots in Kerala, the government agency that works for the welfare of expat Keralites, most of the those who had flown to Russia had not used official channels to migrate. Despite heightened awareness campaigns, only eight people were registered with NoRKA-Roots. All the agents, including Keralites, work from remote stations, and a crackdown on illegal recruitment is extremely difficult, said Mr. Kolassery.

The Ministry of External Affairs says it has been taking up cases of Indian recruits in the Russian Army, asking the authorities to let them return to India. Of the 126 currently estimated to have joined the Russian Army, 96 returned to India, 12 were killed in the conflict, while 16 have been categorised as “missing,” the MEA said on Friday. It is unclear how many more may be involved in the conflict zone, but have not so far reached out to the Indian Embassy in Moscow or MEA.

(With inputs from Suhasini Haidar in Delhi)