15 Indians Duped Into Fighting War For Russia, Claims Trapped Jammu Man; MEA Reacts

Two Indian nationals, trapped in the Ukraine war zone and being forced to fight for Russia, have appealed to the Indian embassy in Moscow and India’s External Affairs Ministry for their safe release.  The men claimed that there were 13 more Indians with them, according to a report by The Hindu.

All of them had gone to Russia in the past six months on student or visitor visas. They were promised construction jobs by agents, but ended up in a war zone instead.

The report stated that these men are currently located in Selydove, a town in the Donetsk region, which was claimed by Russia in November 2024. These men noted that they were taken there without any training and now are not being allowed to leave.

A 22-year-old man, identified as Sumit Sharma from Jammu, is among the trapped workers. Sharma claimed that there are 15 Indians trapped in the Russia-Ukraine war zone, as per The Hindu report. Moreover, four people are missing and may have died in the war, according to him.

He narrated his experience, noting that he was attending a language course at Moscow State Linguistic University. While looking for part-time work, he was contacted by a woman who promised him a construction job. Instead, he was asked to sign papers and was sent to a Russian army camp. 

“To earn extra money, I was looking for odd jobs when a woman contacted me and assured me of construction work. I was instead asked to sign some papers and enlisted in the Russian Army. I came to the camp on August 20 and without any training, they brought us to an occupied area in Ukraine and are not letting us leave. We have been cheated, we are stuck here,” he told The Hindu.

According to Sharma, these people were unaware of the Indian government’s repeated warnings about such job scams.

Trapped in a Russian Army camp, the workers have appealed to the Indian embassy in Moscow and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to secure their safe release, according to a report by The Wire.  

Meanwhile, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Wednesday that the government has repeatedly warned Indian citizens over the past year about the risks of joining the Russian army.

“We once again strongly urge all Indian nationals to stay away from any offers to join the Russian army as this is a course fraught with danger,” the statement added.

Last year, Russia claimed it had stopped recruiting Indians for the ongoing war. The Russian embassy gave this assurance after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue with President Putin.