Don't join Russian army! Indians duped with job and money offers in Moscow

Indians duped into fighting in Ukraine as government renews warning on Russian army recruitment

Work or study in Russia, but don’t be misled by offers to join the army. The Indian government on Thursday issued a fresh warning after reports of citizens being duped with job promises and pushed into the Ukraine war.

 

“We have seen reports about Indian nationals having been recruited recently into the Russian army on the frontline in Ukraine,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement. “We once again strongly urge all Indian nationals to stay away from any offers to join the Russian army as this is a course fraught with danger.” New Delhi says it has taken up the issue with Moscow.

 

 

What happened to Indians who joined

 

In September 2024, it was reported that 126 Indians had been recruited by Russian forces. Twelve lost their lives, 96 were released, while 16 are still missing. Many of them were promised jobs as cooks or helpers, but ended up in combat zones with little training.

 

Take the case of Sunil Karwa, an electrician from Rajasthan. He said he was posted near Bakhmut, one of the most dangerous battlefields in Ukraine. “I can’t believe I am out of there,” he told the BBC while waiting at Moscow airport to fly home last year. He recalled seeing his neighbour shot and sent back to fight again after an injury, only to collapse and become paralysed.

 

Another Indian, Raja Pathan, was deceived by an education consultant into joining a non-existent college. Stuck in Russia, he decided to enlist after seeing banners advertising army recruitment. “By then, I had spent so much time and money that I decided to join anyway,” he said. Two of his friends later died, and he was released only after a sympathetic Russian commander intervened, the BBC reported.

 

How they were lured

 

Most of those caught up in this network were young men aged between 19 and 35, often from poorer families. Agents based in India, Dubai and Russia promised them steady incomes and jobs abroad. The contracts were in Russian, and recruits signed them without understanding what they meant.

 

“The process was so quick – just a few signatures and photos and we were in the army,” Karwa recalled.

 

What India has done

 

The Indian government says it has raised the issue several times in the past year and demanded an end to the practice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi even brought it up during his visit to Russia last year.

 

New Delhi has also acted at home. Nineteen people have been arrested for human trafficking linked to these cases. Last September, the government announced that dozens of the 91 Indians who had been duped into fighting were released after discussions with Moscow.

 

What Russia has promised

 

Russian authorities have assured India they are working to release those still stuck in military roles. While some Indians have already returned, others remain unaccounted for.

 

Labour demand in Russia

 

The warnings come even as Russia and India maintain traditionally warm ties. Russian companies are opening doors in sectors ranging from construction to high-end machinery, and legitimate opportunities exist for skilled workers.

 

Vinay Kumar, India’s ambassador to Russia, told the TASS news agency last week that demand for Indians is rising in machinery and electronics. “At a broader level, there is a manpower requirement in Russia, and India has skilled manpower. So at present, within the framework of Russian regulations, laws and quotas, the companies are hiring Indians,” said Kumar.

 

“Most of the people who have come are in the construction and textile sectors,” he added, noting that the demand is now widening to industries such as machinery and electronics.

 

The envoy also described how consular work has expanded as more Indians take up jobs in Russia. “When people come and leave, they need consular services to extend passports, childbirth, say for example, and loss of passport and those kinds, basically consular services,” he said.

 

At the same time, the embassy has issued a caution to job seekers. “A number of instances have come to the notice of this Mission in which Indian nationals are offered tourist or business visas by some agents in India, with a promise for a job in Russia,” the advisory reads. It explained that such visas do not allow employment and cannot be converted into work permits after arrival.