Seven young men from Punjab and Haryana have made a distressing plea for help, claiming they were tricked into military service in Russia and are now being deployed to participate in the conflict in Ukraine. Identified as Gagandeep Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Narain Singh, Gurpreet Singh (two individuals with the same name), Harsh Kumar, and Abhishek Kumar, five of them are from Punjab while the other two hail from Haryana. The group recorded a video message circulating on social media, shedding light on their ordeal and seeking assistance.
The men embarked on a journey to Russia on December 27, initially intending to celebrate the New Year there. However, their plans took a drastic turn when they traveled to Belarus without proper visas. Subsequently, they found themselves abandoned by their agent and detained by Russian authorities. Allegedly coerced into signing documents they couldn’t understand due to the language barrier, the men claim they were then compelled to join the Russian military and fight in the Ukraine conflict.
In the video message, Harsh Kumar, one of the individuals trapped in this situation, detailed their circumstances and appealed for aid. He recounted how they were lured by an agent promising passage to Belarus, only to find themselves ensnared in a dire situation. According to Harsh’s brother, they were given weapons training and deployed to the Donetsk region to participate in the conflict.
The families of the affected individuals have reached out to authorities, seeking intervention. Reports suggest that around 100 Indian nationals may have been recruited as support staff by the Russian Army, with some being coerced into frontline combat. The Indian External Affairs Ministry acknowledged that approximately 20 Indian nationals working with the Russian military have approached them for assistance in being discharged from their duties. However, the exact number of Indians involved in such situations remains unspecified.
The plight of these young men serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by vulnerable individuals seeking opportunities abroad. Their alleged deception and forced participation in a conflict thousands of miles away from home underscore the urgent need for stronger protections for migrant workers and stricter oversight on recruitment practices. As their families anxiously await resolution, the international community’s attention is drawn to the broader issue of human trafficking and exploitation in the context of global conflicts,
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