Russia-Ukraine conflict: ‘Indian workers forced to fight Moscow’s war’
New Delhi: In a shocking revelation, many Indian workers have been forced to participate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and fight alongside Russian forces.
According to Kashmir Media Service, at least three Indians were compelled to join Russian forces after being deceived by an agent who had initially sent them there under the guise of working as “army security helpers”, Indian daily The Hindu reported.
The publication cited an agent stating that as of November 2023, approximately 18 Indians have been deployed across various areas along the Russia-Ukraine border, with one of them having been killed in combat. This is the first documented instance of Indians being involved on the Russian side in a combat role.
The family of one of the victims, who hails from Hyderabad, has sought the intervention of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi. On January 25, Owaisi wrote to Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and the Indian Embassy in Moscow, urging the government to take immediate action for the return of these stranded individuals. On Wednesday (today), Owaisi, through a social media post, urged Jaishankar again to use his office to bring these men back home.
The victims, whose identities were withheld by the paper, have shared harrowing accounts of their ordeal. One victim from Uttar Pradesh, in his early 20s, said that they arrived in Russia in November 2023, underwent basic training in handling arms and ammunition, and were then sent to Rostov-on-Don along the Russia-Ukraine border in January. Despite assurances that they would not be sent to the battlefield, they were forced to fight at gunpoint.
“[We] were made to sign contracts, which said that we are being hired as army security helpers. We were categorically told that we will not be sent to the battlefield,” he said. He said he came to Russia with the help of an agent. While he managed to contact his family several days after fleeing the war zone, his pleas for help from the Indian Embassy in Moscow have been ignored. “Repeated pleas to the Indian Embassy in Moscow have gone unheeded. I have been turned away several times. I do not have proper documents and have no money, the government is not helping us,” he said.
One of the agents who received the victims in Russia informed The Hindu that these men belong to different regions of India and are at significant risk to their lives if the government fails to take action.
