Indians from Punjab and Haryana claim they were duped into fighting for Russia

Seven men from Punjab and Haryana have claimed that they have been duped into joining the Russian army and fighting for Russia-Ukraine war. In a video released by these men, they have claimed that went to Russia as tourists to celebrate New Years but soon they were forced into fighting for Russia.

One of the men in the video said that they were in Moscow for New Years when an agent offered to take them to Belarus, where they were caught and then handed over to the Russian authorities.

“An agent offered to take us to Belarus… we were not aware we needed a visa. When we went to Belarus (without a visa) the agent asked us for more money and then abandoned us. The police caught us and handed us over to Russian authorities, who made us sign documents,” Harsh says in the video.

19-year-old Harsh, who was recording the video, shared that when they were handed over to the Russian army, authorities told them to sign a contract as “security helpers” to the army or serve 10 years in prison. The seven men in the video are seen wearing military-style winter jackets and skull caps in a dingy room.

As accessed by NDTV, the men have sought help from the Ukrainian embassy and the Indian government for their return. Harsh’s family also stated that he also went to Russia for career opportunities. His mother added that he had gone to find employment opportunity in Russia on December 23 and that his  passport was snatched and the seven men were forced into military training.

This report comes after several Indians made SOS calls to the Indian government after having been duped into fighting the war for Russia.

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