There is a history of Indians fighting other people’s wars. When India was trapped under British rule, thousands of Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives in the First and Second World Wars. This was done on Mahatma Gandhi’s recommendation, in the hope that perhaps the British would show some softness and move India’s freedom issue forward. The witness and guardian of that today is the India Gate memorial, on which the names of these brave soldiers are inscribed. In reality, these young men came from very poor and backward families and, because they had strong physiques and healthy bodies, after a little training they became soldiers. Many countries even called them mercenary soldiers, capable of fighting for any nation, just as before independence Indian soldiers fought for Britain. In truth, all of them were trapped in a web of deception. Any poor and unemployed youth can easily be lured by the promise of a job abroad and becomes ready immediately.
The climate and environment of Punjab produce physically strong young men, and they are preferred abroad. One example is that in Britain, especially in Southall, English women marry these young men. The same happens in America. Near Chandigarh lies Dera Bassi district of Punjab’s major city Patiala. Recently, during discussions at a wedding reception there, it emerged that several families were distressed because many young men from their villages and families had been thrown into the Russia–Ukraine war taking place thousands of kilometers away from India. They are fighting on Russia’s side. Many Indian youths have died needlessly in this war.
Now war is no longer just a fight between two countries. Ordinary young men from our country are also getting trapped in it against their will. These youths went to Russia dreaming of better jobs, good earnings, and settling abroad, but they got caught in the agents’ trap. They were lured with jobs as “security guards” or “helpers,” but upon reaching Russia, their passports were confiscated, they were trained to use weapons, and directly sent to the Ukrainian frontlines. So far, 36 Indians have died in this war, and 11 are missing. These figures were provided by the government itself in Parliament.
According to reports by Deutsche Welle and BBC, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia, a meeting was held with President Vladimir Putin on 8 July 2024. In this meeting, Prime Minister Modi raised the issue of Indians being fraudulently recruited into the Russian army and demanded their early release and return.
Young men from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and several other states fell into this trap. The Central Bureau of Investigation registered several human trafficking cases. Agents used social media and YouTube to tempt people with promises of good salaries, easy work, and no danger. Many boys sent “please save us” videos from the frontlines asking for help. Meanwhile, on 18 December 2025, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh gave a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. The question had been raised by Saket Gokhale of the Trinamool Congress and Randeep Singh Surjewala of the Congress party.
According to official government figures, 205 Indian citizens are believed to have been recruited into the Russian armed forces since 2022. Of these, 36 Indians have been killed in the war. Eleven Indians are reported missing. Due to the government’s diplomatic efforts, 119 Indians were discharged early and brought back to India. A considerable number of Indians are still trapped there, and continuous efforts are underway to secure their release.
Regarding the return of bodies of Indians killed in the fighting, the minister stated that the bodies of 10 deceased Indians had been brought back to India, while 2 were cremated in Russia itself. DNA samples from the families of 18 dead or missing Indians were given to Russian authorities for proper identification of bodies. The Indian Embassy provided travel documents and airline tickets to stranded citizens. The Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly warned people not to fall for jobs in Russia as security guards or helpers. The suffering of families is immense. In Dera Bassi, a gentleman named Paramjit Singh from Punjab’s Dhuri town said that many youths from his city and state are fighting on Russia’s side against Ukraine. Their families are trying to bring them back.
The story of 30-year-old Mohammad Afsan from Hyderabad is heartbreaking. Afsan, who worked at a clothing store, was the father of two young daughters. An agent lured him with the promise of an “easy helper’s job.” He went to Russia in December 2023 and was killed in a Ukrainian attack in February 2024. His brother Mohammad Imran says, “My brother had been promised he would not be sent to the front.” Twenty-three-year-old Hemil Ashwinbhai Mangukiya from Surat also became a victim of this deception. He went in December 2023 for a helper’s job and was killed in a Ukrainian airstrike in Donetsk in February 2024. His father Ashwinbhai even traveled to Moscow to bring back the body. Initially, Hemil had sent some money home, but later came the news from the front. Now the family cannot bring their son back with money. Hemil’s mother cries through the nights. The entire family has been shattered.
In Dera Bassi itself, the story of Sonu Kumar from Hisar district of Haryana also emerged. He had gone to Russia in May 2024 in the name of learning a language. In September 2025, he was killed in a drone attack. Sonu’s family was informed by a Russian official over the phone that he had died in the war. His body arrived nearly two months later. During the funeral in the village, everyone’s eyes were filled with tears. Sonu’s friend Aman is still missing. The family is demanding martyr status and compensation. These youths did not go illegally, but they were trapped through deception.
Certainly, the pain of families whose children got trapped is beyond imagination. Afsan’s daughters will grow up without a father. In Sonu’s village, everyone wonders: why our son? These boys did not die for their motherland, but in someone else’s war. They deserve martyr status, proper compensation, and respect. Figures were presented in Parliament, but the real help is still pending — bringing back the remaining boys, supporting the families, and preventing such fraud in the future. Our youth power should not be destroyed in foreign wars.
