Russia-Ukraine war: 7 Indians tricked into joining Russian Army, seek help

A group of Indians alleged that they got tricked into joining the Russian military and were sent to fight in the war against Ukraine

A group of seven young men from Punjab and Haryana have made an urgent plea to the authorities for assistance, stating that they were tricked into military service in Russia and were deployed to take part in the Ukraine conflict, reported NDTV.

The seven Indians have been identified 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 workers are said to be from Punjab, the other two are from Haryana, said a report by The Hindu.

In a video circulating on X (formerly Twitter), the seven men are seen wearing military winter jackets or skull caps. They are positioned within a dimly lit and unkempt room with a sealed window at one end. Six of them are clustered in a corner while the seventh, identified as 19-year-old Harsh from Karnal, Haryana, records a video message outlining their situation and pleading for help.

 

The report stated they left for Russia on December 27 to celebrate the New Year. They had a 90-day visa for the Russia trip, but they went to neighbouring Belarus instead.

"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," Harsh said in the video.

"Now they [Russia] are forcing us to fight in the war against Ukraine," he added.

Harsh's family told NDTV that he had also sought employment abroad, and was reportedly told that it would be easier to emigrate to a country of his choice if he went via Russia.

Harsh's brother stated that he was given weapons training and sent to the Donestsk region.

Amrit Singh, Gurpreet Singh's brother who appears in the video, told NDTV that the men were "forced" to serve in the military. "They were forced to join the army because the documents they signed in Belarus were in Russian. It said they had to accept ten years in prison or join the Russian army," Amrit Singh claimed.

Reports have suggested that the Russian Army recruited up to 100 Indian nationals as support staff, and scores of them were compelled to combat along the Ukrainian border.

Last week, the external affairs ministry reported that some 20 Indian nationals serving in the Russian military had asked authorities for assistance in their discharge, amid reports of casualties among Indians forced to fight in the war against Ukraine.