The Russia-Ukaine conflict is still ongoing and completing 2 years now with Russia trying to fully invade Ukraine and the latter trying to protect itself.
However, in the midst of all this, a concerning phenomenon is being noticed where Indian people are reportedly being tricked into going to Russia, under various ruses like job opportunities, travel and more and joining the Russian military.
What Is Happening?
As of now, around 20 Indian nationals are said to be stuck in the Russian military, allegedly the Wagner Group, a Russian state-funded private military company (PMC).
As per a report by The Times of India, four Indians, one a 22-year-old youth from Telangana and three from Karnataka’s Kalaburagi, are stuck in Russia and sent an SOS from the Ukraine border asking their families to rescue them. One of the men, Sufiyan is as per reports pleading in a video saying “Please save us, we are victims of a hi-tech fraud.”
According to an Indian Express report, Mohammed Imran the brother of one of the men trapped in the Russian military Mohammed Afsan (30) said “They were duped. The agent who recruited them said they would work in Moscow only; instead, they were given 15-day training and dropped in Ukraine, where they are being forced to stay alongside Russian troops fighting the war.”
Job recruitment seems to be a recurring thread among those trapped where they were initially tricked into thinking that it was just a job as helpers in Russian government offices, however, when they got there the youths were forced to go to the frontlines in active battle.
Afsan had been working at a clothes showroom as a salesman when he came upon the job application, and Imran explained how “He, like the other youths, was promised a salary of Rs 45,000 per month for the initial three months, which would gradually increase to Rs 1.5 lakh. After working for a year, he could apply for Russian passport and citizenship. It was a lucrative offer and unfortunately they fell for it. Afsan left for Moscow on November 9.”
Imran also revealed that their last communication with Afsan was on December 31st in a video call but that there has been no word from him.
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Another man caught in this whole situation is 23-year-old Mohammed Sufiyan who according to his brother Saiyed Salman had been working in Dubai at a packing company earning some Rs. 30,000 per month when he connected with a YouTuber called Faisal Khan who then brainwashed him into applying for the Moscow job.
Salman further explained the reality Sufiyan told them through video calls saying “At the camp, they saw other Indians who had returned from the frontlines. They had shrapnel injuries, broken limbs, and Sufiyan came to know that he and the others undergoing basic training would also be sent to the frontlines.
On February 27, Sufiyan was almost killed in a drone strike. A youth from Gujarat (Hemil Mangukiya) was killed along with several Russian soldiers. Sufiyan called us on January 29 to narrate the ordeal. He was traumatised seeing death up close, and desperate to return to India. That was his last call and his phone has been unreachable ever since, so we assume he is on frontlines again.”
Most of them were said to be recruited by the YouTuber who offered them ‘security personnel/helper’ jobs in Russia with salaries over Rs. 2 lakh per month. The recruiters in turn reportedly took around Rs. 3.5 lakh from their families but it turned out these people were drafted in Russia’s private army without consent for the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Another 7 Indians from Punjab and Haryana have also as per reports made a plea to the authorities asking for assistance and rescue from Russia. Identified as Gagandeep Singh (24), Lovepreet Singh (24), Narain Singh (22), Gurpreet Singh (21), Gurpreet Singh (23), Harsh Kumar (20) and Abhishek Kumar (21), the men wearing military gear posted a 105-second video that has eventually found its way to social media where they explained their situation and appealed for aid.
Gurpreet (23) from Punjab’s Hoshiarpur had incidentally gone to Russia to attend the New Year’s festival in St Petersburg on 27th December 2023 in a group. But they made the mistake of going to Belarus believing their Russian visa would work, however, they were detained and handed over to the Russian Army personnel at the border by the Belarus Army.
The men, five workers from Punjab and 2 from Haryana, with the video shot by 19-year-old Harsh from Karnal, Haryana, said “An agent 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 documents. Now they (Russia) are forcing us to fight in the war against Ukraine” as per an NDTV report.
As per reports, Gurpreet’s cousin Sandhu said “The Russian personnel told Gurpreet he had broken the country’s laws by illegally entering Belarus, and threatened to jail him for 10 years. They seized his phone and other belongings and kept him confined. After he pleaded for several hours, the Russian troops connected him on the phone with a translator, who explained to him that instead of rotting in jail, he should join the Russian army as a helper.
He was promised Rs 1 lakh salary and told that he would live and work in Moscow, but after two days, he was sent for training and is now at the frontlines. With bombs falling everywhere, he and the others are scared for their lives.”
Another report by Hindustan Times, claims that around “100 Indian nationals had been recruited as support staff by the Russian Army and that dozens of them had been forced to fight on the border with Ukraine.”
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has also commented on this phenomenon stating “It is our understanding that there are 20-odd people (Indians) who have gone there to work as support staff or as helpers with the Russian army,” and that “We are trying our level best for their early discharge.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: Hindustan, Business Standard, The Indian Express
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Russia-Ukraine war, Russia Ukraine war, Indian youths, Indian youths russia, russia, russia military, Russia Ukraine Conflict, India Russia ties, India Russia, Ukraine, russia india youth
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