A 36-year-old man from Kerala has died in a shell attack while working at a Russian military camp amid the country’s war on Ukraine, his family has alleged, The Indian Express reported on Monday.

The man, identified as Sandeep from Nayarangadi in Thrissur district, was an electrician. He had flown to Russia to work at a restaurant in April, according to his cousin Saran.

“Two days ago, we got a message from a Russian Malayali association that a person from Thrissur had died in a shell attack,” the newspaper quoted Saran as saying. The message said that the person who died was working at a military canteen in Russia.

“The association wanted to identify the deceased person,” Saran said, adding that they found out it was Sandeep after verifying the details.

The family had recently lost contact with Sandeep. “He told us that he was employed in Moscow and had sent one month’s salary home,” said Saran, according to The Indian Express. “After one month, he rarely contacted the family and was reportedly taken out of Moscow. We later came to know that he was at the military canteen, which was exposed to attacks from Ukraine forces.”

Sandeep’s parents are both farm workers. His family was waiting for the Indian embassy in Russia to intervene to bring his body back to Kerala, Saran added.

Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, triggering the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.

After the war broke out, at least 500 Indians, including some veterans, had reportedly submitted applications to join the International Legion, a Ukrainian military unit made up of volunteer fighters from other countries.

In February, media reports claimed that several Indians hired as “army security helpers” in Russia were instead forced to fight alongside the Russian military. Nearly 100 Indians had been recruited into the Russian military over the past year, The Hindu reported on February 20.

This was the first time that the involvement of Indians in combat roles on the Russian side had been reported.

On July 9, the Ministry of External Affairs said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had drawn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attention to the matter of Indians being forced to fight alongside the Russian military in Ukraine. This was during the prime minister’s two-day visit to Moscow.

“The Russian side promised early discharge of all Indian nationals from the service of the Russian Army,” said Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra at the time.

Kwatra added that while New Delhi was not aware of the specific number of Indians serving alongside the Russian military, the figure is estimated to be between 35 and 50.

“Out of which, we have managed to bring 10 Indian nationals back to India through very active efforts on our own and also in partnership with the Russian system,” Kwatra said.

On August 1, the Central government told Rajya Sabha that at least eight Indians have been killed in Russia, while another 63 are seeking to return home after being recruited into its Army under “unclear circumstances”.