Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Telangana Worker Killed in Russian Strike on Odesa
Vavilala Sudarshan Goud was a 42-year-old worker from Telangana, India.
He had gone to Ukraine about four months earlier to find construction work.
He was staying in Odesa when air-raid sirens warned people about an attack.
Reports said he left his accommodation and was killed by a missile.
Another man from Telangana, Ganesh Kalleda, was reported injured, although accounts differed about what happened to him.
The attacks were part of a larger wave of Russian missiles and drones across Ukraine.
Ukraine’s president said at least 12 people were killed and dozens were injured.
The Indian Embassy said it was helping Goud’s family and working to bring his remains home.
A local lawmaker also visited the family and offered support.
Vavilala Sudarshan Goud, 42, from Hasnabad in Telangana’s Jagtial district, was reportedly killed in Odesa.
Goud had traveled to Ukraine about four months earlier and found construction work, according to reports.
He was reportedly struck while leaving his accommodation after air-raid sirens sounded.
Another Telangana man, 35-year-old Ganesh Kalleda, was reported injured, though some accounts said he escaped safely.
The Indian Embassy confirmed Goud’s death, offered assistance and said it was supporting early repatriation of his remains.
- Who
- Vavilala Sudarshan Goud, a 42-year-old worker from Telangana, reportedly died; Ganesh Kalleda, 35, was reported injured.
- What
- A reported Russian missile strike in Odesa killed Goud during a wider wave of attacks across Ukraine.
- When
- The attacks were reported on September 1, after strikes had continued since Monday evening; Goud had traveled to Ukraine about four months earlier.
- Where
- Goud was reportedly killed in Odesa, Ukraine; strikes also affected Kyiv, Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Dnipro regions.
- Why
- The strikes occurred amid the Russia-Ukraine war; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alleged that Russia targeted civilian life and said casualties increase when air defenses are insufficient.
Ukrainian Account
Reporting Qualifications
Responsibility for the attacks
Ukrainian Account
Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the strikes and alleged that they were intended to cause extensive destruction to civilian life.
Reporting Qualifications
The articles describe the attacks as Russian strikes, but they do not include a response from Russian authorities.
Condition of Ganesh Kalleda
Ukrainian Account
Several reports said the 35-year-old Telangana man was injured in the strikes.
Reporting Qualifications
Other accounts said Kalleda escaped safely, and the reports could not independently reconcile his condition.
Details about Goud’s circumstances
Ukrainian Account
Reports said Goud traveled on a company visa or with a relative, worked in construction and was killed while leaving accommodation after an air-raid warning.
Reporting Qualifications
One report noted that details supplied by Indian-diaspora sources, including some personal and employment information, lacked official confirmation.
- Reported deceased
- Vavilala Sudarshan Goud, 42, from Hasnabad village in Jagtial district, Telangana
- Reported injured
- Ganesh Kalleda, 35, another man from Telangana
- Reported occupation
- Construction worker in Ukraine
- Attack location
- Odesa, Ukraine
- Reported Ukrainian death toll
- At least 12 people, including an Indian citizen, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- Attack methods
- Drones, ballistic missiles and guided aerial bombs were reported in the wider attacks
- Embassy response
- The Indian Embassy said it was assisting the family and facilitating early repatriation of Goud’s remains
- Family support
- Jagtial MLA M. Sanjay Kumar visited the family and offered support
