 "Mohammed Ahmed, has released a series of distress videos claiming he has been trapped in the Russian army and forced to fight in the Russia–Ukraine war against his will")
A man from Hyderabad named Mohammed Ahmed, who was allegedly tricked by a job agent in Mumbai and sent to Russia, has been forced to sign a one-year contract to serve in the Russian army.
Military documents obtained by The Times of India confirm that the 38-year-old former bouncer has been assigned a service number and is now positioned near the Ukrainian border, with imminent orders to move deeper into the war zone.
In distressed videos and voice messages sent to his family, Ahmed explained that he “had no choice” but to join the military. He was taken to Russia in April 2025 under the false promise of a construction job. After two other non-military positions proved unsuitable, he claimed the military contract became unavoidable. The documents, signed on October 11, 2025, in the presence of a Russian major, stipulate adherence to service norms.
Family pleads for repatriation
Ahmed has urged his family to “preserve these documents” as a record amid the uncertainty of his life. “I am being forced to go to the Ukrainian border to fight. It is dangerous there. I do not want to go,” he told his relatives.
His wife, Afsha Begum, has renewed her appeal to the Union External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, for help in bringing him home.
As of the latest report, Ahmed’s family has yet to receive a formal response from the Ministry of External Affairs or the Indian Embassy in Moscow regarding the case.