Uttarakhand Man, Who Went To Russia For Higher Studies, Forced to Join Russian Army To Fight Ukraine War

A youth from Uttarakhand named Rakesh Kumar, who had gone to Russia to study at St. Petersburg University, was reportedly forced into the Russian military to fight against Ukraine.

Kumar, 30, arrived in Russia to pursue higher studies last month but was allegedly sent to the warfront in Ukraine.

Kumar's family has written to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking the intervention of the Indian embassy in Moscow to ensure his safe return.

Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Kushmoth village in Uttarakhand, departed for Russia on August 7 with a study visa.

Reports indicate that his family has not heard from him since the beginning of this month. Kumar had informed his family after his arrival in Russia, stating that the situation was not as he had expected.

According to his family, Kumar told them he had been forced to join the Russian army and would be sent to the warfront in Ukraine. Days later, he could not be contacted as his phone was unreachable.

Kumar's family also received a photo of him in a Russian army uniform.

In his last call with his family on August 30, he informed them that his passport and documents had been taken away. He also mentioned that his emails had been deleted and that he had undergone training before being sent to the warfront.

Kumar's family contacted the MEA on September 5.

This is not the first time reports of Indians being inducted into the Russian army have surfaced. Earlier, many Indians were allegedly coerced into joining the Russian military through false assurances.

The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement on September 11, urged Russia to stop inducting Indians into its military and called for the release of Indian citizens serving in the Russian army.

The ministry also advised Indians not to accept offers to join the Russian military.

"We have seen reports about Indian nationals having been recruited recently into the Russian army. The government has, on several occasions over the past year, underlined the risks and dangers inherent in this course of action and cautioned Indian citizens accordingly. We have also taken up the matter with Russian authorities, both in Delhi and Moscow, asking that this practice be ended and that our nationals be released. We are also in touch with the families of the affected Indian citizens," MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.

"We once again strongly urge all Indian nationals to stay away from any offers to join the Russian army, as this is a course fraught with danger," the statement added.