New Delhi: A young man from Morbi in Gujarat was allegedly forced to serve in the Russian military after he went to that country for studies.
Sahil Mohammad Hussain has claimed in a video that he was blackmailed with a false drugs case into joining the military.
In the video, shared by Ukrainian authorities, the student is heard requesting people not to join the Russian military under any circumstances.
Hussain was apparently captured by the Ukrainian forces who made the video, as reported by NDTV.
In the video, the student asks the Indian government to help him return home. He claimed he was working part time for a courier firm while studying in Russia.
Hussain alleged that the police in Russia falsely implicated him in a drug case, and promised to drop the case if he served in the Russian Army.
“President Vladimir Putin was in India recently. I would like to request the government to speak to Putin for my safe return home,” he is heard saying.
He said in another video that he took the Russian deal in order to get rid of the false drugs case. After training for 15 days, the Russians sent him to the frontline, he claimed.
The first thing he did on reaching the frontline, Hussain said, was to surrender to the Ukrainian Army. The Ukrainian forces sent the videos to his mother in Gujarat and asked her to raise awareness about Indians being duped into serving in the Russian military.
She has filed a petition with a court in Delhi for her son’s safe return. The next hearing is in February.
“I came to Russia for studies in 2024. But due to financial and visa issues, I came in touch with some Russians who turned out to be in narcotics… I have not done anything. At least 700 people were jailed by Russia on drugs charges. But the jail authorities gave them a choice of getting the charges dropped by joining the Russian military,” the Indian student in an olive green jacket said in the video.
“I feel hopeless. I don’t know what will happen. But I do have a message for young people who are coming to Russia, ‘be careful’. There are many scamsters here who can falsely implicate you in a drug case,” he said in the video.
“I would like to appeal to the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, please help,” he added.
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri had said on December 5 that India is actively working to secure the release of its citizens who have joined the Russian armed forces, while urging caution to prevent further recruitment.
At a special briefing on the state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Misri said PM Modi raised the matter with the Russian president, underscoring that “our concerted efforts continue on a regular basis to secure the early release of Indian citizens from the Russian Army.”
“This issue of the recruitment of Indian citizens into the Russian armed forces was broached by PM Modi,” Misri added.
He cautioned Indian citizens against accepting offers to join the Russian military. “I would just take this opportunity to reiterate once again that our citizens should avoid very, very carefully any offers to join the Russian armed forces. We are seeing several cases of people stranded there, appealing to be rescued and brought out. As I said, we are actively engaged in that effort,” he added.
