New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) once again emphasized its strong advisory against Indian nationals joining the Russian Army, following yet another instance of young men being tricked by agents and sent to the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war against their will.
Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing media inquiries, stated, “We have observed reports regarding recent recruitment of Indian nationals into the Russian army. Over the past year, the government has repeatedly emphasized the risks and dangers of this course of action, warning Indian citizens accordingly. We have also addressed this issue with Russian authorities in both Delhi and Moscow, requesting an end to this practice and the release of our nationals.
We are also communicating with the families of the Indian citizens who were affected. It seems like your message got cut off. Could you please provide the text you want me to paraphrase? He reiterated his advice to Indian nationals to “stay away from any offers to join the Russian Army, as this is a course fraught with danger.”
The response follows a report by The Wire, which stated that seven Indian men in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine alleged they were lured to Russia with promises of construction work but were instead sent to the frontline. As reported by the media outlet, seven men, named Gursewak Singh, Sachin Khajuria, Sumeet Sharma, Buta Singh, Geetik Kumar, Ankit, and Vijay Singh, were allegedly enticed by a third-party agent with offers of lucrative construction jobs outside Moscow.
In what way were these Indians deceived?
The men sent videos to The Wire via WhatsApp, urging the Indian embassy in Moscow and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to help ensure their safe release. In an interview with The Wire just a day before he was set to deploy, he disclosed
• They arrived in Moscow on study and business visas, but a third-party agent lured them with false promises of Rs 20 lakh per month for construction work.
• They were instead transported to a camp in Chilimnyi on August 18, 2025, received basic training, and were compelled to serve on the front lines.
• Gursewak Singh, a 26-year-old from Gurdaspur in Punjab, claimed that officials intimidated them with guns and made them sign contracts in Russian.
• Sumeet Sharma, 22, from Jammu, mentioned that they were first informed that their only task was to build bunkers but later found themselves forced into combat training.
• According to the victims, more than 30 Indians were seen at the camp, along with men from Nepal, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, many of whom were sent to the battlefield and never returned.
• They stated that five out of the original 15 members have already lost their lives at the frontlines.
In the early part of this year, families from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, whose missing relatives have been unaccounted for in the conflict for almost two years, journeyed to Russia in search of them. Officials from MEA have confirmed that at least 18 Indians are still unaccounted for.
Amid rising worries about the safety of Indian nationals in conflict zones, these reports are significant, as the government has stressed that recruitment into foreign armies through deception poses serious threats to life and security.
