Indian Student In Russia Forced to Join Military, Here’s Why!

Thirty-year-old Rakesh, hailing from Uttarakhand, found himself in a dangerous situation in Russia, where he landed to pursue higher studies. Rakesh reached Russia last month for academics but was reportedly forced by the authorities to take up the gun and move to the battlefield in Ukraine. In a short time, he was pressurized to join the Russian army and sent to Ukraine.

According to a report in The Times of India, his family said that they have not heard from him since the beginning of this month and have written to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), seeking help from the Indian embassy in Moscow.

Rakesh, a resident of Kushmoth village left for Russia on August 7 after getting admission to St Petersburg University on a study visa. After landing in Russia, his family was informed that he had arrived safely but within days, his situation became difficult and he indicated that things were not going as expected.

Rakesh’s brother Deepu Maurya said that their family spoke to him on August 30. In the call, Rakesh informed them that he had been forced into the Russian army and would soon be sent to the war front in Ukraine. Then his phone became unreachable. Later, the family received a photo showing Rakesh in a Russian army uniform, turning their fear into reality.

A few days later, Rakesh again called his family from an unknown Russian number. In the short call, Rakesh spoke anxiously and told his family that his passport and personal papers had been taken away, his emails were deleted. He also told them that he received military training in the Donbas region before being sent to the warfront. Since then, there was no call from Rakesh. On September 5, his family submitted a written request to the MEA.

Significantly, this is not the first of its kind incident in the last few months. Over 20 Indian nationals had reportedly said that they were misled into travelling to Russia with promises of education and jobs. However, they were later compelled to join the Russian military. In the beginning of this month, the MEA issued a statement asking Russia to stop recruiting Indians into its army. The MEA advised Indians not to accept any offers to join the Russian army because of the serious ‘risks and dangers’ involved.