7 tourists from Punjab, Haryana claim Russian agent tricked them into joining Ukraine war (WATCH)
The men left for Russia on December 27 in a bid to celebrate the New Year, armed with a 90-day visa. However, they later traveled to Belarus, where they found themselves abandoned by an agent who initially offered to take them there.
FollowIn a distressing plea for assistance, seven young men from Punjab and Haryana have come forward, claiming they were deceived into military service in Russia and are now being coerced to participate in the conflict in Ukraine. Identified as Gagandeep Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Narain Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Harsh Kumar, and Abhishek Kumar, these individuals urgently seek intervention from authorities to address their predicament.
A circulating video on social media captures the desperate appeal of the seven men, clad in military winter jackets or skull caps, confined in a dimly lit room. Harsh, a 19-year-old from Karnal, Haryana, records the video, narrating the sequence of events that led to their current situation.
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The men left for Russia on December 27 in a bid to celebrate the New Year, armed with a 90-day visa. However, they later traveled to Belarus, where they found themselves abandoned by an agent who initially offered to take them there. Without the required visa, the group faced legal issues in Belarus and were handed over to Russian authorities who, they claim, deceived them into signing documents. Subsequently, they were allegedly compelled to join the Russian army and participate in the war against Ukraine.
Harsh's family revealed that he had sought employment abroad and was led to believe that traveling through Russia would make it easier immigration to his desired destination. Harsh's brother asserted that he received weapons training and was deployed to the Donetsk region.
Amrit Singh, brother of Gurpreet Singh seen in the video, reported that the men were "forced" into military service, citing documents signed in Belarus in the Russian language. The documents purportedly presented them with the choice of a 10-year imprisonment or joining the Russian army.
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Reports indicate that up to 100 Indian nationals were recruited as support staff by the Russian Army, with dozens allegedly coerced into fighting on the Ukraine border. Last week, the Indian External Affairs Ministry confirmed that about 20 Indian nationals working as support staff or helpers with the Russian Army had sought help for their discharge.
The ministry spokesperson acknowledged the distressing situation but did not specify the total number of Indians believed to be working with the Russian military.
