Russia Deceives Indian Citizens Into Joining Its Army Against Ukraine
Russia is increasingly using deceptive schemes to recruit Indian citizens into its army and send them to fight against Ukraine.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Militarnyi, citing The Times of India.
There is a known case of a 30-year-old student, Rakesh Kumar, who traveled to St. Petersburg on a student visa but was soon forcibly mobilized and sent to train for the war against Ukraine.
His family lost contact with him after his last phone call, in which he said that his documents had been confiscated and that he was in Donbas.
This incident is not an isolated one. In recent months, at least 20 Indians, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have reported similar cases.
According to Indian MP Vikramjit Singh Sahneib, most Indian citizens who end up in the war are invited to Russia ostensibly to provide labor. They are then forced to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense without an interpreter. Many realize they have been sent to the front only after arriving at their destination.
This is not the first time India has faced such problems. For example, in October 2024, it repatriated 85 citizens after at least nine Indians were killed in the war. The country's Central Bureau of Investigation opened criminal cases against 19 people involved in illegal recruitment activities.
Despite diplomatic appeals from the relatives of the victims, new cases of forced recruitment continue.
The Gaze previously reported that India and Russia aim to increase trade turnover by 50% over five years to $100 billion, planning to lower tariffs amid growing tensions with the US.
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