Gujrat, Dec 22 : A Gujarat based student who travelled to Russia on a student visa has alleged that he was coerced into joining the Russian Army after being falsely implicated in a drug case, and has urged fellow Indians to stay away from any military recruitment offers in the country.
The student, identified as Sahil Mohammad Hussain from Morbi district in Gujarat, is currently being held by Ukrainian forces after being captured from a combat zone. In a video message circulated by Ukrainian authorities, Hussain appealed to the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for assistance in returning home.
According to Hussain, he was pursuing his studies in Russia while working part-time with a courier company to support himself. He alleged that Russian police framed him in a narcotics case and threatened imprisonment unless he agreed to enlist in the Russian military. Hussain claimed several others were similarly forced to choose between jail and military service.
“I was told the charges would be dropped only if I joined the Russian Army,” he said, adding that he accepted the offer to escape the false case. After undergoing around 15 days of training, he was deployed to the frontline, where he said he immediately surrendered to Ukrainian forces.
An earlier BBC report in October, quoting Hussain’s mother, said he travelled to Russia in January 2024 for higher education, completed a short language course and later moved cities for college. She alleged that drugs were planted in a parcel he was carrying during courier work in April 2024, following which he was detained. The family reportedly lost contact with him for several months until the Ukrainian video surfaced.
Claims made by Hussain regarding the circumstances of his arrest and recruitment could not be independently verified.
In another video message, Hussain warned Indian nationals planning to travel to Russia to remain extremely cautious. “There are many fraudsters here who can falsely implicate you in a drug case,” he said, expressing despair over his situation.
Ukrainian forces later shared the videos with his mother in Gujarat and encouraged her to raise awareness about Indian nationals being allegedly misled into joining the Russian military. His mother has since approached a Delhi court seeking his safe return to India. The matter is scheduled for hearing in February.
Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India was actively working to secure the release of citizens who had ended up serving in the Russian armed forces, adding that the issue had been raised by Prime Minister Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He reiterated that Indian nationals should strictly avoid any offers related to joining the Russian military.