A 23-year-old man from Gujarat’s Morbi, who had been arrested by Ukrainian authorities after allegedly being recruited by the Russian Army, has appealed to the Indian government for his release, reported The Indian Express on Monday.
In October, the Ukrainian government said that it captured Sahil Mohamed Hussein Majothi who had been fighting alongside the Russian military during the ongoing conflict between the two countries
He had travelled to St Petersburg in Russia on January 10, 2024, on a student visa to pursue a course in Russian Language and Culture from ITMO University.
In April 2024, he was charged in a drug case and sentenced to seven years in jail in Russia. To avoid further imprisonment, he was offered to join the Russian Army amid the country’s war on Ukraine.
He was later captured by Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
In a video message received by his family on Sunday night, he said that he was “stuck in Ukraine as a war criminal”, according to The Indian Express.
“Now I am hopeless, I do not know what will happen in future,” Majothi can be heard saying in the video. “But I want to send a message to my Indian citizens. Those Indians coming to Russia for higher studies or work, be careful because there are so many scammers here.”
He warned students that they may be trapped in “criminal cases, narcotics cases, illegal cases, so take care of yourself”.
Majothi also appealed to the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “if possible, please help”.
The external affairs ministry has repeatedly issued advisories warning Indian citizens against joining the Russian military. New Delhi contends that many are duped by unscrupulous agents and are often hired as support staff, such as cooks and helpers, amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The Russian defence ministry stopped recruiting Indians in April 2024, according to the country’s embassy in New Delhi. However, contracts for military service have delayed the release of several Indians.
The recent video of Majothi came days after the Ministry of External Affairs told Parliament that of the 202 Indian citizens believed to have been recruited into the Russian military, 26 had been killed and seven are missing.
One hundred and nineteen persons have been discharged from service, Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh said in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
Efforts are being made to secure the release of the remaining 50 persons, he added.
The ministry and Indian diplomatic missions in Russia have been assisting citizens discharged from the Russian Army for their return to India by facilitating their travel documents and providing them with air tickets, Singh said.
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