Ukraine: 15 illegal Indian recruits to Russian army remain missing

New Delhi: Following illegal recruiting to the Russian Army, at least 15 Indian nationals continue to remain missing after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a The Hindu report suggested on Sunday. The report was based on information from the Ministry of External Affairs and family members of two missing men.

One of the mentioned families told The Hindu that their son Zahoor Sheikh, aged 27, last contacted them on December 31. According to them, Zahoor told them that he was going to training and would not be available on the phone for the next three months. Zahoor’s father, a retired Inspector from the Public Health Department in Jammu and Kashmir, said that when news appeared about the deaths of Indians in Russia in January, the family tried to contact him, but they couldn’t reach him.

After Russia initiated a full-on war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the deadliest conflict started in Europe since World War II. It is believed that around a hundred Indians were forced to fight alongside the Russian army in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and dozens of them had sought the Indian government’s help to return home.

Indian Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar had informed Parliament that at least eight Indians were killed in the war as of July.

Zahoor’s family said that according to MEA officials, at least 15 Indians are still missing. From their experience from approaching the Russian Embassy in Delhi, they said the officials there are cooperating, but Russian commanders on the ground are not responsive.

Zahoor and Mandeep from Punjab’s Jalandhar went to Russia after watching a YouTube video regarding a security job, and both were deceived into joining the Russian army. Mandeep was last contacted in March.