Bodies of two Indians killed in the Russia-Ukraine war zone arrived at the Delhi airport on Wednesday (December 17, 2025). Since September, at least four Indians have been killed in the war zone and 59 others are missing.

The deceased have been identified as Ajay Godara (22), a resident of Rajasthan, and Rakesh Kumar (30) from Uttarakhand. Both Godara and Kumar had gone to Russia in the past one year on student visa but were allegedly enlisted in the Russian Army after being misled by agents who promised them work as cleaners and helpers.

On December 3, ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s State visit to India, Lok Sabha member from Nagaur, Rajasthan, Hanuman Beniwal raised the issue of safe return of 61 Indians allegedly enlisted in the Russian Army to participate in the ongoing war against Ukraine.

Prakash Godara, a cousin of Ajay Godara, told The Hindu that they received a call from the Indian Embassy in Moscow on December 9 informing them about the death.

“We were told on December 9 that Ajay has been killed in Russia. He last spoke to his family on September 21. Since then, there was no communication with him. Before going incommunicado, he had sent a video pleading for help. He said they were being forcibly sent to the war zone,” Mr. Prakash Godara said.

The family took the body to Bikaner in Rajasthan where he was cremated on Wednesday evening. He is survived by his parents and a sister. The death certificate issued by Russia states that he died “during active military service.”

Godara’s family was among scores of people from across the country who protested at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar twice seeking government’s intervention.

The family had met Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, also a local MP, several times and had raised the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Pankaj Kumar, a friend of the other deceased, Rakesh Kumar, said the family got to know about the death five days ago.

“The family was told that he died in the Donbas area. He last spoke to them on August 30. We received the body at the Delhi airport today,” Mr. Pankaj Kumar said.

The Hindu reported on September 10 that Indians continued to be enlisted in the Russian Army despite an assurance by Moscow in 2024 that it no longer admits Indians.

On September 11, the MEA said it had taken up the matter with the Russian authorities, both in Delhi and Moscow, asking that “this practice be ended and that our nationals be released.”

In 2024, after India strongly raised the issue, the Russian Embassy said in a statement on August 10, 2024 that it no longer admits Indians into its Army, adding it was working in “close coordination” with the Indian authorities to help discharge Indian nationals recruited for the war in Ukraine. The two countries have been at war since February 24, 2022.

The MEA has issued several warnings and advisories cautioning Indians from falling prey to such jobs.

On November 8, MEA spokesperson said there were 44 Indian nationals presently serving in the Russian Army.

Published – December 18, 2025 12:21 am IST

Source link

Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is approaching its grim third anniversary, has an unexpected connection with two districts in Uttar Pradesh.

Last year, nearly a dozen young men from Azamgarh and Mau districts travelled thousands of kilometres away from home in hopes of a good life for themselves and their families. While three of the 13 men who left for Russia died on the battlefield, two returned home after being injured in the war. Of the remaining eight, there is no news on their whereabouts so far.

They were offered jobs as security guards, helpers and cooks in Russia, promised Rs 2 lakh per month but were forcibly sent to the battlefield instead.

Kanhaiya Yadav of Azamgarh and Shyamsundar and Sunil Yadav of Mau have lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war. Rakesh Yadav of Azamgarh and Brijesh Yadav of Mau got injured in the war and are home now. Meanwhile, the family members of eight men – Vinod Yadav, Yogendra Yadav, Arvind Yadav, Ramchandra, Azharuddin Khan, Humeshwar Prasad, Deepak and Dhirendra Kumar – are still waiting to hear some news on them.

‘They Trapped My Brother’

In Azamgarh district’s Khojapur village, Yogendra Yadav’s mother, wife and children are beside themselves with grief.

“Vinod Yadav, an agent in Mau, trapped my brother. He told him the job was for the security guard position but he was sent to the Russian border instead,” said Ashish Yadav, the younger brother of Yogendra Yadav.

He said that his brother left home on January 15, 2024, with three agents – Vinod, Sumit and Dushyant. “After reaching Russia, he was forcibly trained and recruited into the army,” Mr Yadav said.

“We spoke to him last in May 2024. He had told us over the phone that he got injured in the war on May 9, 2024. Since then we haven’t heard from them,” he said appealing to the Indian government to intervene in the matter so that his brother could be found.

When asked about her son, Azharuddin Khan’s mother Nasreen, who lives in Azamgarh’s Gulami Ka Pura area, breaks down into tears and recalls an agent’s bait of a high-salary job that took his son away from her. “I haven’t spoken to him for the last ten months”.

“He left with agent Vinod on January 26, 2024. He had offered Azharuddin a job as a security guard. He said he will get Rs 2 lakh per month,” she said.

Azharuddin Khan – the primary earner in his family – was in regular touch with his family after he left. He told them he was being trained and sent to the battlefield.

On April 1, his father suffered a heart attack when he got to know that he had joined the Russian Army. Seven days later, on April 8, he died.

“My last conversation with my son was on April 27. He said to me, ‘Amma, I will work here for six months and I will return home after that. I haven’t heard from home since then,” said a distraught Nasreen.

Waiting For News On ‘Missing’ Son

The Father of Humeshwar Prasad, a resident of Sathiyaon town, also has a similar story. Agent Vinod Yadav took his son away, promising a security guard job.

“They made him sign an agreement then he was recruited by the (Russian) army. He was given a 15-day training,” said Indu Prakash.

“Everyone is worried at home,” said Indu Prakash who last spoke with his son in March, last year,” he said, tearing up.

When he contacted the Indian embassy, he was told his son was “missing”.

Pawan, a resident of Harraiya, last spoke to his brother Deepak – who left for Russia early last year – on July 6, 2024.

All these families are demanding two things from the government – the return of the Indians stuck in Russia and action against agents who forced their loved ones onto the battlefield.

Kanhaiya Yadav – from Raunapur village of Azamgarh district – had gone to Russia for the job of a cook. But, he was recruited into the Russian Army and died on December 6, 2024, after being badly injured.

“I last spoke to my father on May 25, 2024. He told me he was badly injured in the war and was undergoing treatment. I didn’t speak to him after that,” said Kanhaiya Yadav’s son, Ajay.

Months later, in December, the embassy informed him that his father had died.

Rakesh Yadav got injured in the war. But, he was among the very few Indians who could return home. “I went to Russia in January 2024. The agent told me about the job of a security guard and a monthly salary of Rs two lakh”.

“When we reached Russia, we were made to sign an agreement paper, which was in Russian language. When we asked about the content of the document, we were told it describes the job that we would do in Russia,” recalled Mr Yadav.

He reached Russia with Vinod Yadav, who is also currently stuck in Russia due to the war.

Soon after, he was given war training on how to fire rockets, throw bombs and use other weapons.

“When we protested, we were told that we were being given self-defence training,” he said.

Twelve Indian nations have been killed while serving with the Russian military and another 16 listed by the country are missing, the Indian foreign ministry said on Friday.

“Out of the 126 known cases of Indian nationals serving in the Russian armed forces, 96 individuals have already returned. They have been discharged from the Russian armed forces. Of the remaining 18 Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces, the whereabouts of 16 individuals are currently not known,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Russia has categorised the 16 Indians as “missing”.

In August last year, the Russian embassy said that the country’s ministry of defence stopped recruiting citizens from a number of foreign countries, including India, into the military service.

-With inputs from Ravi Singh.

Source link

Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is approaching its grim third anniversary, has an unexpected connection with two districts in Uttar Pradesh.

Last year, nearly a dozen young men from Azamgarh and Mau districts travelled thousands of kilometres away from home in hopes of a good life for themselves and their families. While three of the 13 men who left for Russia died on the battlefield, two returned home after being injured in the war. Of the remaining eight, there is no news on their whereabouts so far.

They were offered jobs as security guards, helpers and cooks in Russia, promised Rs 2 lakh per month but were forcibly sent to the battlefield instead.

Kanhaiya Yadav of Azamgarh and Shyamsundar and Sunil Yadav of Mau have lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war. Rakesh Yadav of Azamgarh and Brijesh Yadav of Mau got injured in the war and are home now. Meanwhile, the family members of eight men – Vinod Yadav, Yogendra Yadav, Arvind Yadav, Ramchandra, Azharuddin Khan, Humeshwar Prasad, Deepak and Dhirendra Kumar – are still waiting to hear some news on them.

‘They Trapped My Brother’

In Azamgarh district’s Khojapur village, Yogendra Yadav’s mother, wife and children are beside themselves with grief.

“Vinod Yadav, an agent in Mau, trapped my brother. He told him the job was for the security guard position but he was sent to the Russian border instead,” said Ashish Yadav, the younger brother of Yogendra Yadav.

He said that his brother left home on January 15, 2024, with three agents – Vinod, Sumit and Dushyant. “After reaching Russia, he was forcibly trained and recruited into the army,” Mr Yadav said.

“We spoke to him last in May 2024. He had told us over the phone that he got injured in the war on May 9, 2024. Since then we haven’t heard from them,” he said appealing to the Indian government to intervene in the matter so that his brother could be found.

When asked about her son, Azharuddin Khan’s mother Nasreen, who lives in Azamgarh’s Gulami Ka Pura area, breaks down into tears and recalls an agent’s bait of a high-salary job that took his son away from her. “I haven’t spoken to him for the last ten months”.

“He left with agent Vinod on January 26, 2024. He had offered Azharuddin a job as a security guard. He said he will get Rs 2 lakh per month,” she said.

Azharuddin Khan – the primary earner in his family – was in regular touch with his family after he left. He told them he was being trained and sent to the battlefield.

On April 1, his father suffered a heart attack when he got to know that he had joined the Russian Army. Seven days later, on April 8, he died.

“My last conversation with my son was on April 27. He said to me, ‘Amma, I will work here for six months and I will return home after that. I haven’t heard from home since then,” said a distraught Nasreen.

Waiting For News On ‘Missing’ Son

The Father of Humeshwar Prasad, a resident of Sathiyaon town, also has a similar story. Agent Vinod Yadav took his son away, promising a security guard job.

“They made him sign an agreement then he was recruited by the (Russian) army. He was given a 15-day training,” said Indu Prakash.

“Everyone is worried at home,” said Indu Prakash who last spoke with his son in March, last year,” he said, tearing up.

When he contacted the Indian embassy, he was told his son was “missing”.

Pawan, a resident of Harraiya, last spoke to his brother Deepak – who left for Russia early last year – on July 6, 2024.

All these families are demanding two things from the government – the return of the Indians stuck in Russia and action against agents who forced their loved ones onto the battlefield.

Kanhaiya Yadav – from Raunapur village of Azamgarh district – had gone to Russia for the job of a cook. But, he was recruited into the Russian Army and died on December 6, 2024, after being badly injured.

“I last spoke to my father on May 25, 2024. He told me he was badly injured in the war and was undergoing treatment. I didn’t speak to him after that,” said Kanhaiya Yadav’s son, Ajay.

Months later, in December, the embassy informed him that his father had died.

Rakesh Yadav got injured in the war. But, he was among the very few Indians who could return home. “I went to Russia in January 2024. The agent told me about the job of a security guard and a monthly salary of Rs two lakh”.

“When we reached Russia, we were made to sign an agreement paper, which was in Russian language. When we asked about the content of the document, we were told it describes the job that we would do in Russia,” recalled Mr Yadav.

He reached Russia with Vinod Yadav, who is also currently stuck in Russia due to the war.

Soon after, he was given war training on how to fire rockets, throw bombs and use other weapons.

“When we protested, we were told that we were being given self-defence training,” he said.

Twelve Indian nations have been killed while serving with the Russian military and another 16 listed by the country are missing, the Indian foreign ministry said on Friday.

“Out of the 126 known cases of Indian nationals serving in the Russian armed forces, 96 individuals have already returned. They have been discharged from the Russian armed forces. Of the remaining 18 Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces, the whereabouts of 16 individuals are currently not known,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Russia has categorised the 16 Indians as “missing”.

In August last year, the Russian embassy said that the country’s ministry of defence stopped recruiting citizens from a number of foreign countries, including India, into the military service.

-With inputs from Ravi Singh.

Source link