Families of 16 Indians, promised lucrative jobs in Russia but forced into war, demand their safe return and justice against deceitful agents.
January 20, 2025: Azamgarh/Mau: Nearly a dozen young men from Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh and Mau districts traveled thousands of kilometers to Russia last year, lured by promises of high-paying jobs as security guards, cooks, and helpers. Instead, they were forcibly recruited into the Russian military amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine, leaving their families in despair.
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Three of the 13 men who left for Russia have died in combat, two returned home injured, and eight are still missing. Families are now urging the Indian government to intervene and bring their loved ones home.
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Trapped by False Promises
In Azamgarh’s Khojapur village, Ashish Yadav shared how an agent named Vinod Yadav deceived his brother Yogendra Yadav with promises of a security guard job paying ₹2 lakh per month. “He left on January 15, 2024, but was forcibly trained and sent to the Russian border,” Ashish said. The family lost contact with Yogendra after he reported being injured in May 2024.
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Similarly, Nasreen, the mother of Azharuddin Khan from Azamgarh, recounted how an agent lured her son with the promise of a lucrative job. “He left on January 26, 2024, but was forced into the Russian army,” she said tearfully. Azharuddin’s father suffered a fatal heart attack after learning of his son’s recruitment. Nasreen’s last conversation with Azharuddin was in April 2024, after which he went missing.
Forced into Combat
The ordeal was echoed by Rakesh Yadav, one of the few survivors who returned home injured. Recounting his experience, he said, “We were made to sign a Russian-language agreement, which we couldn’t understand. Soon, we were trained to use rockets, bombs, and other weapons under the guise of ‘self-defense training.’” He added that their protests were ignored, and they were thrown into active combat.
Kanhaiya Yadav, who went to Russia as a cook, also ended up on the battlefield. His son, Ajay, last spoke to him in May 2024, and later received news of his death in December 2024.
Families’ Plea for Action
The families of the missing men are demanding immediate intervention from the Indian government to locate their loved ones and punish the agents responsible for their plight. They recall how agents like Vinod Yadav preyed on vulnerable young men with false promises, sending them to a war zone instead of safe jobs.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed on Friday that 16 Indian nationals serving in the Russian armed forces are currently missing. Of the 126 known cases of Indians recruited by the Russian military, 96 have returned home, while 12 have been killed.
In August 2024, the Russian embassy announced that its Ministry of Defense had stopped recruiting foreign nationals, including Indians, into military service. However, for the families of the missing, the trauma and uncertainty remain.
A Growing Crisis
This tragic case underscores the perils of illegal recruitment and the exploitation of desperate individuals seeking better opportunities. The families in Azamgarh and Mau continue to wait for news, hoping their appeals to the Indian government and international authorities will bring their loved ones home.