Indian Youths Deceived into Mercenary Warfare in Russia: Families Plead for Repatriation Amidst Exploitation Scandal

In a distressing turn of events, approximately 10 young men from different regions of India find themselves ensnared in the conflict in Ukraine, allegedly coerced into fighting as part of the mercenary organization, Wagner Group. Sent to Russia under the guise of lucrative security and labor jobs, these individuals now appeal to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for help, as they claim to have been deceived by an agent who extracted ₹3 lakh from each of them.

One victim, Syed Ilyas from Hyderabad, sent a video from Russia detailing the fraudulent recruitment, emphasizing that they had not willingly signed up for warfare. The families of these individuals, hailing from states like Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and others, are pleading for their safe return to India.

Abdul Naeem’s father shared the ordeal of his son and friends who were promised high-paying security jobs in Russia. The victims were lured by an agent named Baba, who collected a hefty sum before sending them to Russia. The unsuspecting young men, initially hesitant to sign a Russian agreement, eventually relented under false assurances of safety and secure employment.

The distressed father, communicating in Hindi, disclosed, “At least 10-12 young men have been duped this way. My son and all the others want to come back. We have no complaints with the Russian government or their army, we are requesting them to send our sons back. We are also appealing to the Indian government to ensure their safe return.”

Notably, the victims are now scattered across various locations, with reports of one individual from Kashmir sustaining a bullet injury to his leg. Another family from Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, shares a similar narrative of their son being misled into fighting in Ukraine after being promised a job as a laborer.

The fraudulent agent, Baba, allegedly ran a YouTube channel called ‘Baba Vlogs’ and duped individuals with promises of high-paying Russian jobs. One victim’s father recounted the harrowing experience: “My son was taken to Moscow on November 11, 2023. He was asked to sign up to fight the war, and when he refused, his passport and visa were confiscated, and he was coerced into signing an agreement in Russian.”

Amidst these distressing situations, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge have reached out to the MEA, seeking assistance in bringing back the deceived individuals. Owaisi, in a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishnakar, highlighted the plight of at least a dozen Indians, emphasizing the urgent need for government intervention to rescue these victims from the conflict they never intended to participate in.

Parvasi Weekly Inc.