On Monday, a family in the Tamil Nadu state was astonished to learn that their older son is a member of the Ukrainian Army and is fighting against Russia for the country. During the ongoing battle between the two nations, intelligence reports filed to the Centre and State revealed that a 21-year-old Tamil Nadu boy had joined the Ukrainian Army after being denied entry into the Indian Army due to his diminutive stature.
Sainikhesh Ravichandran is an aeronautical engineering student and a resident of Subramaniyampalayam in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, according to sources. Two days ago, intelligence operatives paid a visit to his home to meet with his parents to learn more about their son’s decision to join the Ukrainian army.
Sainikhsesh’s family said they were astonished to learn that their son had enlisted in the army to fight for Ukraine. Sainikhesh had previously tried twice to join the Indian Army but had been turned down both times due to his low stature. He had also inquired at the US consulate in Chennai about the possibility of joining the American army. When he realized he couldn’t join the US Army, he enrolled in a professional course at Kharkiv’s National Aerospace University in 2018. He later told his family that he had gotten part-time work at a video game production firm.
His family friend told the TOI that his family had always assumed that their son was leading a normal life, pursuing professional degrees, but that they were concerned when they learned of a media report that a youngster from Tamil Nadu had joined the Ukrainian forces.
In 2021, Sainikhesh paid a visit to India and remained for about a month and a half. He would also communicate with his family and family acquaintances via phone conversations, but he was unavailable for about four days when the Russian-Ukraine conflict erupted. According to the article, intelligence officers discovered soldier photos all around his room.
Sainikhesh had always aspired to be a soldier in the Army. He tried multiple times after finishing his 12th grade to join the Indian Army but was unsuccessful. His family tried to persuade him to return to India and do something different hereafter he moved to Ukraine, but he refused. The family recently contacted the Indian Embassy in Ukraine via email in order to learn more about Sainikhesh. The Sainikhesh declared his wish to remain a member of the paramilitary unit after the Embassy connected them.
According to sources, Sainikhesh is currently a voluntary member of the Georgian National Legion paramilitary squad. The family now intends to seek assistance from state and federal officials in order to reclaim their son.
On February 24, Russia and Ukraine went to war after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared military aggression. The Indian government has launched ‘Operation Ganga,’ a special evacuation operation to bring all Indian people stuck in Ukraine home. Several special planes have been operating to return the students from Poland, Romania, and Hungary. Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, and SpiceJet have joined the Operation Ganga mission, flying to Delhi and Mumbai from Ukraine’s surrounding countries.
According to the latest statistics published by the Ministry of External Affairs, 63 planes have returned roughly 13,300 Indians to India as part of Operation Ganga. Over 21,000 Ukrainians have fled the country.
