Fighting In Putin’s ‘Spiritual War’: Indian Men Forced To Join The Russian Army
In March, videos depicting seven men wearing army attire — predominantly from North Indian states Punjab and Haryana — circulated widely on social media.
They claim that they were deceived into military service in Russia and are now appealing for aid from the Indian government. According to their accounts, they had traveled to Russia to ring in the New Year, only to be duped by an agent into participating in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
"All of us friends came to Russia as tourists. We met an agent here who showed us around and later told us he would take us to Belarus for sightseeing. We were unaware of the visa requirement for Belarus. There, he demanded additional money from us, abandoning us on a highway in Belarus. The police detained us and handed us over to the Russian army,” one of the trapped men, wearing a military uniform, narrates in the video statement with other Indians in similar attire gathered around.
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In Punjab, families remain anguished, recounting how their loved ones were lured with promises of jobs abroad but ultimately coerced into military service. They have issued a desperate plea for prompt intervention from Indian authorities.
The family of Gurpreet Singh, one of the men featured in the videos, reveals that his ordeal began when he traveled to Russia on Dec. 22. Along with six other Indian youths he met in Russia, he was escorted to Belarus by a local agent. However, their journey took a sinister turn when they were apprehended by Belarusian police on Dec. 26 and handed over to Russian military forces.
The Russian military’s need to replenish its ranks for what appears to be a long-term war against Ukraine and its Western allies has resulted in Indian men being lured to Moscow with the promise of work, only to discover that they have been forced to enlist in the army.
Even though Russian President Vladimir Putin has justified the invasion of Ukraine partly as a defense of the Moscow-oriented Orthodox Church, leaders of both Ukrainian Orthodox factions are fiercely denouncing the Russian invasion, as is Ukraine’s significant Catholic minority.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has drawn protests from across the world, began on Feb. 24, 2022. (Unsplash photo)
Duped into enlisting
Men from India, a majority Hindu nation, recalled being forced to sign documents in Russian and subjected to military training by officers. The men were eventually deployed to the Ukraine border. Despite maintaining contact with his family via phone calls, Singh said they had initially served as assistants to army personnel before being dispatched to the conflict zone.
“We advise caution for those seeking work abroad, urging them to seek guidance from trusted sources before deciding,” said Balwinder Singh, father of Gurpreet Singh. “[Indian officials] visited us. [They] assured us not to worry, stating they are with us and will ensure his return.”
Since then, the families have appealed to the Indian government to launch immediate efforts for the rescue of all affected youths from this dire situation. Families in Avakha village and Jandey village in Punjab devastated by the plight of Ravneet Singh and the others expressed similar sentiments as their sons face forced recruitment into the Russian army.
The men had ventured abroad with hopes for a better future, only to find themselves trapped in a dire situation. Urgent appeals have been made to the government to ensure the safe return of their sons to India.
“He used to contact us regularly, but communication stopped. His friends tried to reach him, but we later learned he was enlisted in the army, not a helper," said Singh’s sister Navdeep Kaur.
Singh’s mother, Kulwant Kaur, added, “He entered on a tourist visa and was taken to the army from Belarus by police. They were forced to join under threat of prison.”
Meanwhile, a Punjab minister, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, visited the families of the stranded men to offer support and assure them of the government’s efforts for repatriation. He reiterated Punjab’s commitment to stand with these families and emphasized their dedication to bringing back every Punjabi youth stranded in Russia.
“We have written letters to the Indian foreign minister, our ambassador in Russia and other officials, and we are trying to bring them back,” he said. “They are at the Ukraine border, and it is difficult to get in touch with them. But whatever needs to be done, we will do it to bring the men from Punjab back.”
As the families persist in seeking assistance, they also fervently hope for swift action from the authorities to ensure the safe return of these youths. The Indian government has acknowledged that nearly 20 nationals are trapped in the Russian army and is actively working toward their early discharge and repatriation.
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Joining the front lines
Mohammad Afshan, who hails from Hyderabad in southern India, was coerced into joining the Russian army and eventually died in the war, which has often been referred to as a “spiritual battle.”
His family and friends remain in disbelief as they mourn the death of Afshan, who embarked on his journey with the sole aim of earning a livelihood and securing a better life for his family.
Afshan fell victim to a deceitful scheme, his family said, that led to his death in the Russia-Ukraine war. Alongside two other youths from Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, he ventured to Russia in November 2023 after being promised positions as a helper in Russian government offices by unscrupulous agents. Upon their arrival in Moscow, Afshan and his companions were manipulated into signing documents in Russian, only to realize later that they had been forcibly enlisted as helpers in the Russian army.
Asaduddin Owaisi, who heads All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen, an Indian political party, intervened upon the family’s repeated pleas, urging the Indian embassy in Moscow to take action. Owaisi raised the issue, highlighting how young Indian men are being deceived into joining the conflict, and called on the government to ensure their safe return.
Gloom descended upon the neighborhood upon the arrival of Afshan's body in Hyderabad.
“False promises were made to them,” said Mohammad Imran, brother of Mohammad Afshan. “They were taken to Russia on Nov. 12 and forced into the Russian army on the same day after signing an agreement to work as helpers, which turned out to be a military service agreement. They were taken to the Russia-Ukraine border before Dec. 31, supposedly for training, but they were actually deployed in Ukraine.”
In Gujarat, 23-year-old Hamil Mangukiya was killed while serving as a helper with the Russian army. The man’s family received the devastating news of his death just two days after his father had spoken to him. His journey began when he had applied for a job in Russia through an online advertisement.
Upon arriving in Moscow, he was unexpectedly recruited as an assistant in the Russian army. As his family continues to mourn his death, they seek solace and answers, yearning for clarity regarding the circumstances that led to his tragic fate.
“We received the news that our son had died. We were told that the place where he was working came under attack in Ukraine.” said Ashvin Maguliya, Hemil Magukiya’s father. “He was among the Indians deceived into joining the Russian army.”
In Kashmir, the distraught family of Azad Yousf Kumar has appealed for government intervention to bring home their son, who was tricked into joining the Russia-Ukraine war. They are anxiously awaiting his safe return. Kumar was deceived by a job agent into participating in the war. Originally from the Pulwama district in Southern Kashmir, Kumar, an unskilled laborer, was initially promised work as a kitchen helper in Russia, but instead found himself deployed to the front lines.
After Kumar suffered a gunshot wound shortly after his forced enlistment, his family is pleading with the Indian government to ensure his safe return, emphasizing the shock and distress felt by the entire village.
"My brother went to seek a job in Dubai. There was no contact with him after that, and when contact was established, he was listed in the Russian army,” Sajad Ahmad Kumar said. “He was very upset and said he had gone for a helper job, but found himself in a tough situation. During his 15 days of training, he got injured after sustaining a bullet wound in his feet. After recovering, he was sent on a 36-hour journey to the Ukraine border.”
Zaffar Iqbal is a journalist based in Kashmir, India. He has reported for 18 years on armed encounters, environmental issues, crime, politics, culture and human rights. He’s formerly the bureau chief of Jammu-Kashmir for NDTV.