Indian Student Surrenders to Ukrainian Forces After Forced Recruitment into Russian Military

Majoti Sahil Mohammed Hussein, a resident of Gujarat who traveled to Russia for higher education, joined the Russian military as an alternative to serving a prison sentence related to a drug case.

His intention wasn't to engage in combat but to surrender at the first opportunity upon reaching the Ukrainian border.

On Wednesday, Gujarat police confirmed that the 22-year-old Hussein, who surrendered to Ukrainian forces while serving in the Russian military, was from Morbi town and had gone to Russia to pursue his studies.

When reporters approached Hussein's home in Morbi, his mother refused to provide any information. She subsequently locked the house and departed to an undisclosed location, apparently seeking privacy amid the situation.

Later, Hussein's maternal uncle, Abdul Ibrahim Majoti, spoke to the media and urged the Indian government to facilitate the return of his nephew and other Indians trapped in the conflict zone.

According to Abdul, Hussein lived with his mother, who separated from his father approximately twenty years ago, and his maternal grandparents in Morbi.

"Sahil went abroad to pursue higher education. We don't know what happened to him there," Abdul stated.

The uncle described Hussein as an academically gifted student since childhood. "Our entire family is well-educated and established, with some members even holding government positions. I appeal to the central government to bring back Sahil and others caught in similar circumstances," he said.

Inspector General Ashok Kumar Yadav of Rajkot Range, citing preliminary investigations, confirmed that Hussein was a Morbi resident who had gone to Russia several years ago for further education.

"We have also discovered that he was imprisoned after being involved in a drug-related case there," Yadav told PTI.

The senior IPS officer mentioned that local police are investigating various aspects of the case, including how and when Hussein obtained his passport and visa, as well as his connections.

On Tuesday, the Ukrainian military announced that an Indian national fighting with Russian forces had surrendered. The 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian military released video footage of Hussein from Gujarat.

In the video, Hussein explained, "I didn't want to remain in prison, so I signed a contract... But I wanted to escape from there." After just over two weeks of training, he was deployed to the front lines and quickly surrendered following a disagreement with his commander.

"I discovered a Ukrainian trench position approximately two to three kilometres away. I immediately put down my weapon and stated that I didn't want to fight. I needed assistance. I don't want to return to Russia," he said in the recorded statement.

While there has been no official statement from India's external affairs ministry yet, sources indicated that the Indian embassy in Kyiv is verifying the report's authenticity, noting they haven't received any formal communication from Ukrainian authorities regarding this matter.

Last month, the ministry had strongly urged Russia to release and repatriate 27 Indian nationals currently serving in the Russian Army.

Reports have emerged that some Indians on student and business visas were coerced into joining Russian military units deployed on the frontlines of the Ukraine conflict.