Indian Among 'Foreign Volunteers' Fighting Against Russian Invasion, Claims Ukraine

Amid reports of mercenaries getting involved in the ongoing war in Ukraine, a photo has been shared online, claiming to show foreign volunteers fighting against the Russian troops.

A photo shared by The Kyiv Independent claimed that these were foreigners fighting along with the International Legion, Ukraine's volunteer military force, and are fighting outside of Kyiv.

According to the Ukrainian Ground Forces, the volunteers came from the US, UK, Sweden, Lithuania, Mexico, and India.

First foreigners have already joined International Legion, Ukraine's volunteer military force, and are fighting outside of Kyiv.

According to the Ukrainian Ground Forces, the volunteers came from the U.S., U.K., Sweden, Lithuania, Mexico, and India.

? Ukrainian Ground Forces pic.twitter.com/2TvelInMqa

¡ª The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 7, 2022

Though it has not been officially confirmed, the Indian national is said to be one Sainikhesh Ravichandran, a youth from Tamil Nadu.

He was said to be fighting along with the Georgian National Legion paramilitary unit.

Rejected twice by Indian Army

According to IANS, the 21-year-old from Tamil Nadu was rejected twice by the Indian Army and is now fighting in the Ukrainian Army.

Sainikhesh Ravichandran from Thudaliyur in Coimbatore was a student of Aerospace engineering at Kharkiv National University in Ukraine.

IANS

His parents, according to police officers, had informed the intelligence sleuths that he had a passion for military and armed training and showed his room plastered full of photographs of Indian military and officers.

Sainiikesh, had according to the police officers, enquired with the US consulate in Chennai to join in the US military but as he knew that it was not possible he had returned home.

The family members, however, said that he was actively pursuing his five year aerospace engineering course and had informed them a few days before the war broke out that he had got employment in a video game developing company.

Family didn't know son joined Ukraine forces

However, the family came to know that he had joined the Ukraine forces only when the intelligence sleuths visited them. His father Ravichandran when contacted told IANS, "I am terribly upset and I have requested the Government of India to bring my son back to India. He had contacted home a few days ago and said that he was safe and he was not listening to our requests to come back."

Reuters

Ukraine has established an "international" legion for people from abroad and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has publicly urged foreigners to "fight side-by-side with Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals" to show support for his country.

Last week, Zelenskiy said that more than 16,000 foreigners had volunteered, without specifying how many had arrived.

Reuters

There are also reports that Russia was also recruiting Syrian fighters to fight inside Ukraine.

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