‘Several Indians discharged from Russian army’

Hyderabad resident Mohammed Asfan; Zahoor Ahmed from Kashmir; Arbab Husain

Several stranded young men, who were promised security helper jobs by bloggers and agents in Russia but ended up being deployed in the Russian army, are still awaiting assistance from the Indian embassy in Moscow. mid-day contacted several of these youths and one family in Hyderabad, who confirmed they had not received any information from the embassy.

They are anxiously waiting to hear from their loved ones. According to the list provided by local agents in Russia, 10 Indian nationals are still stuck and working with the army, yet to be reached out to by the embassy.

Mumbai resident Iliyas with his two friends Mohammed Sameer Ahmed and Sufiyan Mohammed

According to the list provided by the agents responsible for sending these candidates for helper jobs, the first batch in November included three candidates: Mohammed Asfan from Hyderabad, Zahoor Ahmed from Kashmir, both of whom have been missing since December following a drone attack, and Arbab Husain. Husain managed to escape the attack but sustained injuries to his hand and neck. Speaking to mid-day, a candidate expressed his frustration, saying, "No one has contacted me yet, and I am waiting for a response. I am at a loss for words and unable to understand what's happening here. I have not heard of a single person being rescued from my group."

mid-day also spoke to another candidate stranded in Russia with at least three other Indians, who stated, "We have not received any communication from the embassy despite sending multiple emails. The commanders here in Russia have not shared any details with us, even if they have received communications."

Mohammed Moinuddin, an agent in Russia

A family of one of the victims stranded in Russia also said that they have not received any communication from the embassy and they working closely to ensure that their loved ones are rescued and brought back to India.

"According to the agents, in the second batch, six candidates arrived: Mohammed Sameer, Mohammed Sufyan, Abdul Naeem, all from Karnataka; Sayyed Ilyas Husaini from Sion; Hemil Mangukiya from Gujarat, who tragically died in a drone attack last week; and Azaad Yusuf from Kashmir. The agents also reported that in the third batch, four candidates arrived: Tahir Shaikh from Gujarat, who has already returned to India; Sarfaraz Khan from Kolkata, who has safely returned; Prabin Lamba from Darjeeling; and Surendar Paul from Punjab, who are currently near the border areas of Ukraine and Russia. As for the fourth batch, the candidates are identified as Sandeep Maurya from Mumbai, Ravi Kumar from Delhi and Mirza Junaid from Maharashtra. They were informed about the problems faced by the earlier batches and opted not to sign the agreement. Currently, they are working at a chocolate factory in Russia.

Mohammed Moinuddin, the agent in Russia, stated, "I am in touch with eight candidates who need immediate help, and I am working closely with the embassy to ensure their safe evacuation. Only Asfan and Zahoor have been unreachable for a month after the drone attack."

According to the information provided by the agents, a total of 16 candidates came from India. Unfortunately, one candidate has passed away, and two others are currently missing. Three candidates are employed at a chocolate factory, while ten are working with the Army and require evacuation. Out of these ten, one has successfully escaped but requires assistance from the embassy as he has lost his passport.

MEA statement

On Monday, the MEA issued a second statement claiming, "We have seen some inaccurate reports in the media regarding Indians with the Russian army seeking help for discharge."

"Each and every such case brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities and those brought to the attention of the Ministry have been taken up with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi. Several Indians have already been discharged as a result," the statement reads further.

"We remain committed, as a matter of top priority, to actively pursuing with the Russian authorities all the relevant cases of Indian nationals for an early discharge from the Russian army," the statement read.

10
No. of Indians working with Russian army yet to be contacted by embassy

01
No. of candidates who died