Several Indians discharged from Russian army following India’s demand: MEA

“We have seen some inaccurate reports in the media regarding Indians with the Russian army seeking help for discharge,” the MEA said in a statement.

“Each and every such case brought to the attention of the Indian embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities and those brought to the attention of the Ministry have been taken up with the Russian embassy in New Delhi,” it said.

The MEA added, “Several Indians have already been discharged as a result.”

Last week, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was in touch with Moscow for the early “discharge” of Indians working as support staff to the Russian Army and urged its nationals to stay away from the conflict zone in Ukraine.

“We are aware that a few Indian nationals have signed up for support jobs with the Russian army,” Jaiswal said.

He said the Indian embassy in Moscow has regularly taken up this matter with the relevant Russian authorities for their early discharge. “We urge all Indian nationals to exercise due caution and stay away from this conflict,” he had said.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi had earlier urged the MEA to rescue the Indians.

Hyderabad man in Russia

Among the many Indians forced to fight at the Russian borders, Mohammed Salman* from Hyderabad is one such victim.

• Mohammed Salman* (30), hailing from Hyderabad, was allegedly lured by an agent-cum-social media vlogger named Faisal Khan to work as a “Russian Army security helper.”
• The recruitment process involved contacting Faisal Khan’s aides, Sufiyan and Pooja, who operate from offices in Dubai and Mumbai, respectively.
• The victims, including Salman, reached Russia on 12 November 2023, after travelling from Chennai to Moscow via Sharjah in the UAE.
• Imran, Salman’s brother, reveals that the victims paid ₹3 lakh each to the alleged conmen, in addition to extra expenses amounting to at least ₹1.05 lakh.
• The victims were promised jobs as “Russian Army security helpers” but allegedly ended up being forced to fight alongside the Kremlin’s troops at the Russia-Ukraine border.
• The war between Russia and Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, and the victims found themselves caught in the conflict.
• Two other individuals, a 34-year-old from Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, and a 23-year-old from Kupwara, Jammu & Kashmir, were part of the group that travelled to Moscow.

Onto the warfront

• On 13 November Salman and others were allegedly made to sign an agreement in Russian. When suspicions were raised, authorities
• assured them it was for the promised “helper” job.
• On 15 and 16 November, Salman informed his family that they would be heading to a military training camp where they were to be.
• trained to operate weapons by the Russian Army.
• The agent assured them that handling arms was a routine part of their training.
• In January, Salman and the group were sent to the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, which is nearly 100 km from the Ukraine border.
• When they contacted Faisal Khan, he reportedly stated that they would not go to the border to fight. However, they were taken
• approximately 500 km from Moscow and given military training again.
• Despite questioning the agent about the training, they were allegedly lied to, with the agent claiming it was a three-month training program.
• The victims, including Salman, found themselves in a situation where the promised “helper” job turned into military training, raising concerns about their involvement in the conflict at the Russia-Ukraine border.
• It was not until one of the three trapped men, who managed to escape, sent home a video — shared with South First by Imran — that action began to bring them back home.
• The footage vividly portrayed the desperate circumstances and fervently appealed for immediate intervention.

Also Read: Conned by YouTuber, forced to fight in Russia-Ukraine war: How Indian men were trapped

(With PTI inputs)