Punjab Man Goes To Russia On Student Visa, Ends Up 'Recruited' In Army
A 25-year-old man from a village in Punjab's Moga district, who went to Russia on a student visa last year, has ended up being "recruited" in the Army there
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The family had to sell a portion of their land to finance his journey to Russia. (Representational)
Chandigarh:
A 25-year-old Punjab resident from Moga district's Chak Kanian Kalan village went to Russia on a student visa in 2023, only to be allegedly "recruited" into the Russian Army and thrust into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to his family.
Buta Singh's relatives claim he is among numerous individuals, predominantly from northern India, who have been deceptively enlisted in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The family is now appealing to the Indian government to facilitate their safe return home.
Speaking by telephone on Tuesday, Singh's sister Karamjit Kaur revealed that her brother traveled to Russia in October 2023 through a travel agent to study languages. The agent had suggested he could supplement his income with part-time employment while in Russia.
Kaur mentioned that the family had sold land to finance Singh's education abroad.
It was only approximately one week ago that the family discovered through viral social media videos that Singh and others had been "recruited" into the Russian Army and were being compelled to fight against Ukrainian forces.
In the circulated video, Singh and fellow victims reportedly state they had arrived in Moscow on student visas with promises of employment opportunities, but instead found themselves conscripted into military service, armed with weapons, and ordered to engage in combat.
"We urgently appeal to the BJP government to extract us from this situation as our lives face severe danger," another individual declares in the recording.
Kaur stated that her last communication with her brother was a WhatsApp voice message received on September 11.
Singh's father works as a daily wage laborer while his mother tends livestock to support the household.
The family recently submitted a written appeal to the central government requesting assistance for Singh's safe repatriation.
On Thursday, Congress politician Pargat Singh called for government intervention regarding the "forced recruitment" of Indian nationals, particularly from northern regions, into Russia's military campaign against Ukraine.
Pargat Singh alleged that 111 men from northern India have been conscripted in this manner, with 15 individuals reported missing.
Senior Congress leaders Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala expressed grave concerns last week regarding two men from Haryana's Fatehabad district—Ankit Jangra (23) and Vijay Poonia (25)—who were similarly deceived into participating in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Surjewala reported that Jangra and Poonia had traveled to Russia for educational purposes but were fraudulently enlisted in the Russian military and deployed to combat zones along the Ukrainian border.
Jangra's brother Raghuvir recently informed reporters that his sibling had contacted him via video call to describe their predicament.
Jangra, who had journeyed to Moscow six months prior on a student visa to study Russian language, informed his brother that several other Indians were experiencing identical circumstances.
A Moscow-based woman allegedly misled them with promises of security positions requiring three months of training and offering monthly compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh. They were coerced into signing contracts written in Russian, according to Jangra's account.
Subsequently, they were issued military uniforms, briefly trained, and then dispatched to Ukrainian forests.
On Thursday, India urged its citizens to avoid offers of Russian military service and demanded that Moscow cease recruiting Indians as auxiliary personnel for its armed forces.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed it has raised the issue with Russian authorities both in Delhi and Moscow.
New Delhi's response followed reports of Indians on student and business visas being compelled to join Russian military units deployed in combat zones in Ukraine.
The ministry warned Indian citizens against accepting Russian military recruitment offers, emphasizing the inherent "risks and dangers" involved.