Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Russia. Many Indian families want Modi to bring up the issue of dozens of Indian citizens who have been duped into joining the Russian army by travel agents and sent to fight on the front line.

New Delhi

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in Russia, focusing on an issue that has gained the urgent attention of many Indian families. Around a hundred Indian citizens have reportedly been duped by local travel agents who promised them lucrative jobs in Russia, only to force them into the Russian army and send them to fight on the front lines. 

One such individual, Ravi Mohn, communicated his dire situation from the Russia-Ukraine front line to his brother Ajay. His family, like many others, is anxiously seeking information on his whereabouts after being misled into a dangerous situation. Ravi, among others, was faced with the grim choice of signing a military contract or facing imprisonment.

The Indian government has confirmed that two of its citizens have died in the ongoing conflict and has raised this issue with the Russian government during Modi’s visit. Families are urging Modi to prioritize the safe return of their loved ones, who feel trapped in a peril they never anticipated.

Villages such as Mator have multiple young men caught in this tragic circumstance. One villager, Sahil Mohan, has sent a video appealing to the Indian government for rescue after sustaining injuries. His mother expresses a heart-wrenching desire for his safe return, a sentiment echoed across their community.



New hopes of bringing home Indians trapped in Russian army

I have a lot of Milk in the fridge. I have a bag of milk in the fridge. I have to drink it when I need it. I don't have money. I have a bag of milk in the fridge. I have to drink it when I need it. I have to drink it when I need it. Ravi Mohn sent this message from the Russia-Ukraine front line to his brother Ajay back in March. My eyes well up on hearing this message. Ravi survived the attack only to be deployed again to the front line a week later. Since then, his brother Ajay hasn't heard from him. But he hasn't given up hope. I have been sending him text messages every day since the 12th of March. I get no response but I don't want my brother to feel we have forgotten him. Former generations saw poverty and so did our generation in the family. He went there with the intention of changing the fate of our future generation so they can live a comfortable life. This village sent many young men to Russia, but not to join the army. They were duped by local travel agents who promised lucrative jobs. One of the agents has been arrested on charges of fraud and human trafficking. We gave $13,000 to the travel agents. We gave $13,000 to the travel agents to get Ravi a job in Russia. But when he landed there and called me a few days later, Ravi told me that he was forced into signing a contract to join the Russian army. He was told that either you will have to go to the war or face prison for 10 years. Ravi told me to alert others in the village so that they don't land in a similar situation. Ravi's family does not want to believe he is dead and have been asking the government to find out his whereabouts. In this village, they are not the only ones in a torturous limbo. This is Sahil Mohan in a video he sent from Russia, appealing to the Indian government to rescue him. He got shrapnel injuries in both his legs on the front line. His mother is distraught. She says she would rather have her son jobless at home than in a death trap far away. My heart yearns for him. I miss him so much. He asks me to make chilli flatbread for him when he returns home. He must be starving there. Six young men from this village named Mator have gone to Moscow. It's believed that around a hundred Indian men have been recruited by the Russian army in the last year. Why did they go? Because they simply could not find jobs at home and it seems that many, like Sahil, are told that they'd be far from the fighting. Indian government says two of its citizens have died in the war and raised the matter with the Russian government ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit to Moscow. The families back home want Modi to make the safe return of their kin a priority during his visit. If my voice reaches Mr. Modi, I would ask him to bring back all Indians who are trapped in the Russian army. No matter what condition they are in, injured, alive or dead, we hope they bring them home. Seems like Modi has a good rapport with Putin. For now, they watch the war from afar, hoping that the fighting will be followed by signs of life.

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Ukraine Invasion