Tamil Nadu student joins Ukrainian forces in fighting Russia

Sainikhesh, had always wanted to join the Indian Army and was rejected twice

A 21-year-old engineering student from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu is understood to have joined the paramilitary forces in Ukraine to fight against the Russian invasion. The aerospace engineering student, identified as Sainikhesh Ravichandran, has not spoken to his parents for the past few weeks after he reportedly joined the Georgian National Legion paramilitary unit.

Intelligence officials have visited the family consisting of Sainikhesh’s father Ravichandran, mother Lakshmi, and younger brother, in Thudaliyur in Coimbatore and informed them that their son is believed to have joined the Ukrainian forces in their fight against Russian invasion.

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Sainikhesh, who is in his fifth year at the Kharkiv National University in Ukraine, had always wanted to join the Indian Army and had applied for a job there twice but was rejected. His family also acknowledged to the officers that Sainikhesh was passionate about joining a professional armed force and involving himself in combat operations.

When contacted, Sainikhesh’s father said he was “upset” and sought the Union Government’s intervention in getting his son back to India, while his mother refused to speak.

“My son called us sometime back and we pleaded with him to come back. All he said was he was safe,” Ravichandran said. His mother Lakshmi said: “I am not in a position to speak anything about my son. All I can say is that I want him back home soon. He should come back as early as possible.”

A source in Coimbatore Police confirmed that a team from Intelligence Bureau (IB) visited the student’s house last week. “We have gathered information about Sainikhesh from his family and friends. We will continue to get inputs about him and send them to the IB,” the source added.

The family has sought the intervention of the Union Government in bringing Sainikhesh back to India. Local media reports said the student was employed with a video game developer before he joined the Ukrainian forces.

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