Six Indians released from Russian Army

Six Indians expelled from Russian army | Photo courtesy: special arrangement

At least six Indians recruited in the Russian army They have been released after months from their camps on the Russia-Ukraine border. Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue He discussed the issue “personally” with President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow in July.

Mohammed Sufiyan (24), a resident of Narayanpet in Telangana, who was released from the Russian camp, said the hindu He told over phone from Moscow that he and five others were waiting to return to India after the paperwork was completed at the Indian Embassy.

However, Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Sahni said that 15 Indian youths, including four from Punjab, are being brought back from Russia after being released from the Army.

On August 9, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha that in the past nine months, 91 Indians were recruited into the Russian army, eight of them were killed and 69 Indians are awaiting release.

‘In the red zone’

“We were in the red zone, two kilometres from the battlefield on the Ukrainian border. Our job was to carry bodies. There was constant bombing and firing. The bunkers we were given to hide in were so small that it was difficult to breathe,” said Mr Sufian, who was allegedly duped into joining the Russian army after being offered a job as a security assistant.

Samir Ahmed (25), a resident of Kalaburagi in Karnataka who was released, said it would take them a few days to reach India. “It took us 36 hours to reach our base camp from the border. Our contracts were cancelled and now we have reached Moscow on our own,” Mr Ahmed said. He said their cause was first raised by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who raised the issue with Mr Jaishankar in January.

The other four who were discharged are Abdul Naeem (28), Syed Ilyas Hussain (24) from Kalaburagi in Karnataka, Azad Yusuf Kumar (32) from Jammu and Kashmir and Kamal Singh (40) from Punjab.

the hindu On February 20, news first emerged that Indians who went to Russia on tourist visas were offered jobs as security assistants but were forced to fight alongside the Russian army on the Ukraine border.