Seven Indian nationals have made a desperate plea for assistance, claiming they were deceptively recruited into the Russian military.
In a video on social media platform X, Gagandeep Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Narain Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Harsh Kumar, and Abhishek Kumar detailed their ordeal.
The group travelled to Russia on December 27th to celebrate New Year, and their visa expired after 90 days. They then crossed into Belarus unintentionally without a visa. An agent purportedly abandoned them after demanding more money, leading to their detention by Belarusian authorities.
In the video, Harsh Kumar narrates they were subsequently handed over to Russian forces, who coerced them into signing documents. Now, they allege Russia is compelling them to participate in military operations in Ukraine against their will.
Harsh’s family said he had searched for work abroad, and entering Russia simplified the process. However, he was allegedly provided weapon training in the Donetsk region before deployment.
Gurpreet Singh’s brother, also visible in the clip, informed that the men had no choice but to serve or face 10 years imprisonment – as the documents signed in Belarus were in Russian, citing these two options.
The plight of these seven young men from Punjab and Haryana has sparked concerns about their safety, given the allegations of unknowingly getting caught in the war due to deceitful recruitment. Further clarity from authorities is awaited on steps to protect their rights and repatriate them home.
