E-Paper
Haryana: Mortal remains of Hisar youth who was killed in Ukraine drone strike brought home
Sonu travelled to Russia in May 2024 on a study visa to learn the Russian language. However, his relatives said he was later pushed into the battlefield by Russian authorities.
The mortal remains of 28-year-old Sonu Sheoran, who was reportedly forced into the Russian army and killed in a Ukrainian drone attack, were brought back to his native Madanheri village in Hisar on Wednesday — nearly seven weeks after his death.
Sonu travelled to Russia in May 2024 on a study visa to learn the Russian language. However, his relatives said he was later pushed into the battlefield by Russian authorities. He was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on September 6, according to information conveyed by Russian officials.
Sonu’s cousin Anil Kumar said that Sonu and another local, Aman Kumar, had gone to Russia last year to study language courses. “They were later offered jobs as security guards, but in August this year, they were inducted into the Russian army,” he said.
“On September 6, Sonu and Karam Chand, a resident of Kaithal, died in a Ukrainian attack. We received the news through a phone call from a Russian commander on September 19, followed by an official letter from Moscow dated October 6. We couldn’t identify Sonu’s body. He last spoke to his mother on September 3,” Anil added.
Villagers said Sonu’s death has left his family devastated. He is survived by his mother, elder brother (who works at a petrol pump), and a mentally challenged sister.
Former Hisar MP and Congress leader Brijendra Singh wrote to external affairs minister S Jaishankar on October 11, urging intervention in what he termed an “extreme humanitarian crisis.”
“Our youth, who were taken to Russia and the Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine, are in dire need of help. Due to unemployment and lack of opportunities in India, these boys paid lakhs for what they thought were routine jobs in Russia. They went on study or tourist visas and were forcibly sent to the warfront. I request that efforts be made to bring them safely back home,” Singh stated in his letter.
Responding to Singh’s letter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the deaths of Sonu Sheoran and Karam Chand.
In a reply dated October 24, MEA joint secretary (Eurasia) Mayank Singh wrote: “We have received information from our Embassy in Moscow about the unfortunate demise of Late Shri Karam Chand and Shri Sonu. The Embassy facilitated the transportation of Karam Chand’s mortal remains to India on October 17 under ICWF. The mortal remains of Late Shri Sonu have been identified by his family and are being transported to India after completion of formalities.”
