Indians have been sent to the front in Ukraine by the Russian army

23-year-old Indian national Hamil Ashvinbhai Mangekia was killed on February 21 following a Ukrainian missile attack in the Donetsk region. His story was told by our colleagues The Indian Express. He was recruited through the Internet, then registered as “Military Support” Russian in mid-December. News of his death came as a shock to his family, who knew he was working in Russia, but had no idea he had been sent to the front.

According to Indian sources, dozens of citizens of their country have followed the same path as Hamil Ashwinbhai, thus joining the front in Ukraine. A translator from India, who works at a military recruitment center in Moscow, told AFP that he oversaw the registration. “70 to 100” Indians. Also “Every major city has a recruitment center where foreign nationals are processed.”, he said. For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense speaks of at most a hundred cases.

Hamil Ashwinbhai was from Gujarat, a region of western India with no real job prospects, so young people are now looking for work in other countries. He went to Russia. “We (his family) allowed him to go and work abroad so that he would not face financial difficulties. He wanted to earn more money so that he could save for his wedding and start his own business.”His father declared.

Like the young Indians, the men who went to Russia came from poor families and were lured by the promise of high salaries. “Babavlogs”, whose real name is Faisal Khan, is an Indian agent based in Dubai who dedicates himself to publishing Russian military contracts on his social network. In his video, he guarantees $3,600 to likers “support” in Russia.

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“I never touched a gun”

However, the recruits were assured that they did not need to take up arms. “You don’t have to fight. All you have to do is clear the destroyed buildings (and) maintain the arsenal. Is”supported “Babavlogs”. But the Indians had to undergo weapons training, then were sent to the front in Ukraine. Hamil Ashwinbhai’s father says: “We found out that after working for a few days, he was asked to sign a document written in Russian, and then he was taken to the war zone with a gun. Is”

No previous military experience is required for these Indians joining the Russian Army. A Kashmiri man wounded at the front explains being sent to Mariupol along with a fellow Indian and nine other foreigners from Cuba and Nepal. “I never touched the gun. It was very cold, and with the gun in my left hand, I shot myself in the leg.”, he told the BBC. Others request: “Please get us out of this place. Otherwise they will send us to the front. We have no experience. (Russian) agents put us in this position. is”

Other Indian newspaper sources Hindu And some BBC Claims that the Russian military is transparent about what it wants in these contracts and that it is possible to find them online. However one of them adds that people who do not understand the Russian language have been deceived by recruitment agents. The contract indicates a commitment of at least one year and does not provide for any leave or exit before six months of service.

Indian recruits are stuck in Russia after their passports were confiscated. The men contacted the Indian Embassy in Moscow requesting repatriation but received no response Hindu. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs later claimed that the Indians were released after contacting Russian officials. Russia’s close ally India has not condemned Ukraine’s invasion since February 24, 2022.