Two Indian nationals have told The Hindu that they are caught in the battlefield in Ukraine, where they are being forced to serve on the Russian side. The two recruits claimed there were at least 13 more Indians with them.
All of them went to Moscow on student or visitor visa in the past six months. They were hired by an agent to work as construction workers but ended up in the war zone, the two men said on telephone from Selydove in Ukraine, where they are currently being lodged in a building. Russia claimed Selydove, a key town in the Donetsk region, in November 2024.
Two indian nationals claim they are stuck in Russian warzone
A response from the External Affairs Ministry is awaited. The Russian Embassy had said in a statement last year that it no longer recruited Indians into its Army. The assurance came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow in July 2024. The External Affairs Ministry has issued several warnings and advisories cautioning Indians from falling prey to such jobs.
Sumit Sharma, 22, a resident of Jammu, said he came to Russia around six months ago and was pursuing a language course at the Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU).
