Indians lured to war in Ukraine by Russia under pretense of job opportunities • FRANCE 24 English

Indians lured to war in Ukraine by Russia under pretense of job opportunities • FRANCE 24 English

When 21-year-old Mjid heard about a job opportunity to work as a helper in the Russian army, it seemed like a life-changing offer. He was a short of a lucrative monthly salary of €2,000. But soon things took a deadly turn. Artillery shells were falling here. The dead soldiers were lying on the ground. For Mjit, limited opportunities in India pushed him to seek work abroad. Like many others, he was lured by local agents with fake promises of stable jobs only to find himself stationed in Russian controlled parts of Ukraine, navigating landmines, drones, missiles, and sniper attacks. When we were given guns, I asked why. We had nothing to do with guns. We were there for a helper’s job. The commander said, “There’s no helper in the army. A soldier is a soldier.” They used to force us and fire bullets near us, wouldn’t let us sleep, and constantly scared and abused us. I lost all hope of returning home and seeing my parents and siblings again. As per the Indian authorities, 126 individuals were duped into joining the Russian army, six of whom were from this village alone. But unlike Mjid, not everyone made it back, including AJ’s younger brother Ravi. At just 23, he left hoping to support his family. After being missing for 9 months, in December 2024, he was declared dead. We had no idea there was a full-blown war going on between Russia and Ukraine. They made my brother sign a contract in Russian, and he didn’t understand a word of it. Once they put a gun to Ravi’s neck and said, “Either you fight in the army or face a 10-year jail term. Even if we have to sell our house, we will fight the case so that this agent can’t defraud anyone else. In July 2024, during a significant diplomatic exchange between Prime Minister Modi and President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia promised an early release of all Indian citizens serving in its army. you sir.

At least 126 Indians have joined the Russian army to fight in the war in Ukraine, according to the Indian government. At least 12 have been killed and 16 are still missing. Many of the affected Indians, most from poor families, were reportedly lured with promises of lucrative jobs and roles as helpers, cooks and housekeepers in Russia. However, upon arrival, they were sent directly to war zones.
#India #Russia #Ukraine

🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YTen
🔴 LIVE – Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: https://f24.my/YTliveEN

🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: https://www.france24.com/en/

Like us on Facebook: https://f24.my/FBen
Follow us on X: https://f24.my/Xen
Bluesky: https://f24.my/BSen and Threads: https://f24.my/THen
Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: https://f24.my/IGen
Discover our TikTok videos: https://f24.my/TKen
Get the latest top stories on Telegram: https://f24.my/TGen