'Bring My Son Back': UP Family's Heartbreaking Plea After 22-Year-Old Killed In Ukraine Strike
'Bring My Son Back': UP Family's Heartbreaking Plea After 22-Year-Old Killed In Ukraine Strike Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 22, 2026, 10:59 IST
'Bring My Son Back': UP Family's Heartbreaking Plea After 22-Year-Old Killed In Ukraine Strike Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 22, 2026, 10:59 IST Abhishek Nishad, a deck cadet aboard the cargo vessel MV Golden Leo, was killed in a Russian missile strike near Ukraine’s Odesa port Rapid Read The family said Abhishek spoke to his mother on the day of the attack, said he was heading towards a bunker and would call back later. But the call never came. (News18) “Someone bring my son back"—This is the constant request Anita Nishad, a mother from UP’s Deoria district, has been making to her relatives, unable to come to terms with the news that her 22-year-old son has been killed in a Russian missile strike near Ukraine’s Odesa port. In Carmel village, grief has engulfed the family since Monday evening, when a representative of the shipping company confirmed that Abhishek Nishad, a deck cadet aboard the cargo vessel MV Golden Leo, had died in the attack. Abhishek’s father, Kaushal Nishad, reportedly collapsed and became unconscious after receiving the news. Abhishek was the family’s only earning member, and his job at sea was the household’s main source of support.
The family is now waiting for the return of his mortal remains and has appealed to the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government for help. Abhishek had joined the vessel recently. He had left India on June 10 after securing work through Mumbai-based Ocean Grace Shipping Private Limited. According to the family, the vessel was carrying cargo from Ukraine to Syria. On July 19, the ship came under attack near the Odesa coast in the Black Sea. The family says three Russian missiles struck the vessel, causing panic among the crew as they rushed for safety. There were 18 crew members on board, and several, including Abhishek, were initially reported missing. The last conversation between Abhishek and his family has now become a painful memory. Around 7pm on the day of the attack, Abhishek spoke to his mother. An air-raid siren could be heard in the background. He told her that he was heading towards a bunker and would call back later. “That call never came." For the family, the wait that followed was filled with uncertainty. They repeatedly tried to contact him, but there was no response.
On Monday evening, the shipping company finally delivered the news the family had been dreading. The confirmation triggered an outpouring of grief in the village. Abhishek’s mother has been inconsolable. Relatives say she continues to speak of her son as if he might still return. His father has now approached Bansgaon MP and Union minister of state Kamlesh Paswan, seeking government intervention. The family has requested that the Ministry of External Affairs coordinate with the Indian Embassy in Ukraine to bring Abhishek’s body back to India at the earliest. They have also sought financial assistance for the bereaved family. The vessel was reportedly sailing shortly after departing Odesa when it was targeted. Reports said the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship was struck in the region, with multiple crew members killed. For Abhishek’s family, however, the geopolitical dimensions of the Russia-Ukraine war have been reduced to one devastating reality: a young son who left home to build a future will not return alive. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered What is the Indian government doing to help the family?
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