In a distressing development, 15 Indian nationals find themselves stranded in the Russia-Ukraine conflict zone, specifically in Selydove, a key town in Ukraine’s Donetsk region captured by Russia in November 2024. These individuals, misled by an agent promising construction jobs, were instead coerced into joining the Russian Army, according to two of the trapped men. Having arrived in Moscow over the past six months on student or visitor visas, they were deceived into roles that led them directly into the war zone, where they are now housed in a building.
One of the stranded, 22-year-old Sumit Sharma from Jammu, shared his ordeal, explaining that he was pursuing a language course at Moscow State Linguistic University when he was lured by an agent’s promise of work. “To earn extra money, I was looking for odd jobs when a woman contacted me and assured me construction work,” Sharma told The Hindu. Instead, he was forced to sign documents enlisting him in the Russian Army and deployed to an occupied area in Ukraine without training. “We have been cheated, we are stuck here,” he added, highlighting their inability to leave.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has not yet issued a formal response, though it has previously cautioned citizens against such deceptive job offers. The ministry’s efforts to secure the release of Indian nationals from the Russian armed forces have seen some success, with 98 of 127 known recruits discharged as of July 24, 2025, following high-level talks, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July 2024. However, 13 individuals remain in Russian service, with 12 reported missing, according to the ministry’s statement to the Rajya Sabha.
The Russian Embassy, in a statement last year, claimed it no longer recruits Indians into its military, a commitment made after Modi’s intervention. The trapped citizens continue to seek urgent government assistance to return home safely.
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