 "How 7 men from India have been ‘duped’ into fighting Russia’s war in Ukraine")
A group of seven men from Punjab and Haryana had thought they would be celebrating New Year’s in Russia. However, celebrations turned into a nightmare after they landed up being forced into Russia’s military service and have now been sent to fight Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
This comes days after headlines were made when three other Indian men’s families told of their plight — how they had been lured with the promise of better jobs and then recruited into the Russian army, eventually being sent to the frontlines amid the Ukraine war.
What do we know of the seven men? How did they land up at the battle lines of the Russia-Ukraine war?
New Year plan gone awry
The seven Indians have been identified as as Gagandeep Singh (24), Lovepreet Singh (24), Narain Singh (22), Gurpreet Singh (21), Gurpreet Singh (23), Harsh Kumar (20) and Abhishek Kumar (21). While five of them are said to be from Punjab, the remaining two are from neighbouring Haryana.
In a video that is now available on X, the men huddled up in military-style winter jackets with hoods, or skull caps narrate how they landed up in this soup. They say that they had travelled to Russia on 27 December last year to celebrate New Year. One of the men in the video then says that they were approached by an agent, who took them around the country, showing them the sights and attractions. “He then offered to take us to Belarus . We were not aware we needed a visa. When we went to Belarus (without a visa) the agent asked us for more money and then abandoned us. The police caught us and handed us over to Russian authorities, who made us sign some documents.”
23-year-old man who said he is from #Gurdaspur #Punjab #GagandeepSingh called @ndtv @ndtvindia to appeal to @MEAIndia @states_mea @DrSJaishankar to help them return to India; says 7 of them who met in Russia may be deployed any time, without any training, to fight war in #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/re6eFuyY1v
— Uma Sudhir (@umasudhir) March 4, 2024
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More ShortsThe man in the video further adds that they were coerced by the Russian police to join the army of face 10 years’ imprisonment. They were also told that they would be given ‘helper’ jobs in the army — driving or cooking. Realising, they didn’t have much choice, they signed the documents.
“However, they were sent to a training centre and now they (Russia) are forcing us to fight in the war against Ukraine.”
Of the seven men, Harsh Kumar’s family said that the 20-year-old was seeking employment abroad and had been informed that he would find a job easily if he went to Russia. “On 23 December, my son went abroad in search of work. He was caught in Russia and his passport was snatched away. He told us they had been caught by Russian soldiers who threatened him with 10 years of jail and recruited him. He said he was forced to do military training,” his mother told NDTV, appealing to the government to bring him back safely.
The family of Gurpreet Singh, another one in the group, also appealed for help. His brother, Amrit Singh, told NDTV that they had been “forced” into military service.
Other Indians tricked into fighting
These seven men, who claim they have been tricked into fighting for the Russian army, aren’t alone in their claims. Earlier too, it was reported that at least three other men , from Telangana and Karnataka, had been ‘duped’ into fighting the Russian war in Ukraine.
The families of these men have also appealed to the Centre for their safe return. When asked how they had landed up there, the families recount how they had learnt of better-paying jobs in the Middle East through Baba Vlogs, a renowned employment agency based in Dubai.
In fact, the brother of Aazad Yousuf Kumar, one of the three stuck in Russia, said that Aazad reached Dubai last December but was then told by the agent that there were jobs. Following that, he was sent to work as a kitchen cleaner in Russia where he was then forcibly brought to the border to fight for Moscow. “The agent charged him Rs 3,00,000 to arrange the job. But when Aazad reached Moscow, his phone and passport were taken away,” said the brother to South China Morning Post.
His story mirrors the case of other Indians who have been ‘duped’ into fighting for Russia in the war. Another man from Uttar Pradesh also claimed to be conned into the war. He told BBC that he was brought to Moscow by Baba Vlogs and promised a salary of Rs 1,50,000 a month. “We were not told that we are being drafted in an army.”
In a similar case, Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh from Kashmir was trapped in Russia after he was recruited for a job in the Middle East via social media in December. His brother, Mohammad Musaib Sheikh, told This Week in Asia that he had not heard from Zahoor since the latter reached Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates in January.
Fears for the safety of these Indians have risen since the death last week of Hemil Ashvinbhai Mangukiya , a 23-year-old Gujarati man working as an “army security helper” for Russia. He was believed to be killed in a Ukrainian air strike in Donetsk.
MEA speaks
Last Thursday (29 February), the Ministry of External Affairs spoke on the matter, saying that “around 20” Indians had reached out to the Embassy of India in Moscow seeking help in returning to India. Randhir Jaiswal, MEA spokesperson, had said India that is in contact with Russia to bring back the Indian nationals in the zone where Russian and Ukrainian forces are clashing.
“We have an understanding that 20-odd people are stuck. We are trying our level best for their early discharge. We have issued two statements, which you saw. We’ve also told people not to venture in the war zone or get caught into situations which are difficult,” Jaiswal said.
Foreigners fighting for Russia
Apart from Indians being conned into fighting for Moscow, Russia has recruited a number of mercenaries and groups of people from other countries. The Conflict Intelligence Team, an independent group that closely monitors Russian military recruitment, had reported that groups of individuals from several developing countries have been spotted in the Russian ranks.
These include citizens of Nepal , Iraq and Zambia, but the vast majority come from countries of the former Soviet bloc.
Russia has also attempted to lure others into their military by offering citizenship. As per a law introduced in September 2022, anyone who signs a one-year contract with the army is given easy access to Russian citizenship.
With inputs from agencies
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