Trapped in war: Eight Indians 'forced to fight for Russia Army'

VARANASI:

- Sudhir Kumar [e-mail]

What started as a hopeful journey for nine men from Azamgarh and Mau, lured by promises of high-paying security jobs in Russia, has turned into a harrowing ordeal. Trapped in Russia since early this year, eight remain untraceable, while one lost his life fighting in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Two Delhi-based immigration agents, who are currently in Russia but untraceable, allegedly duped these men into signing agreements in Russian, later discovered to be contracts committing them to fight for the Russian Army. After months of forced labour building bunkers, they were sent to the war zone. Their families, too impoverished to pursue help in Delhi or Russia, now cling to fading hope, urging the Indian government to intervene.