Six Indians released from Russian Army

Six Indians who were discharged from the Russian Army
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

At least six Indians enlisted with the Russian Army have been released from their camps on Russia-Ukraine border, months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue “personally” with President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow in July.

Mohammad Sufiyan (24), a resident of Narayanpet in Telangana, who was released from a Russian camp, told The Hindu on phone from Moscow that he and five others were waiting to return to India after the completion of paperwork at the Indian Embassy.

Vikramjit Sahney, Rajya Sabha member, however, said 15 Indian youths, including four from Punjab, were being repatriated from Russia after being released from the Army.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar informed the Lok Sabha on August 9 that 91 Indians were recruited in the Russian Army in the past nine months, eight of them were killed and 69 Indians awaited release.

‘In red zone’

“We were in the red zone, two km away from the battlefield on Ukraine border. Our job was to ferry the dead bodies. There was constant bombing and firing. The bunkers they provided us to hide was so small that it was difficult to breathe,” said Mr. Sufiyan, who was allegedly tricked into joining the Russian Army after being offered the job of a security helper.

Sameer Ahmad (25), a resident of Kalaburgi in Karnataka who was also released said it would take few days for them to reach India. “It took us 36 hours to reach our base camp from the border. Our contracts were cancelled and now we have reached Moscow on our own,” said Mr. Ahmad. He said their issue was first raised by AIMIM member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi who pursued the issue with Mr. Jaishankar in January. 

The other four who were discharged are Abdul Nayeem (28), Syed Ilyas Hussain (24) from Kalaburgi in Karnataka, Azad Yousuf Kumar (32) from Jammu and Kashmir and Kamal Singh (40) from Punjab.

The Hindu reported first on February 20 that Indians who travelled to Russia on tourist visas were offered jobs as security helpers but were forced to fight alongside the Russian military on the Ukraine border.