A man from Punjab, who traveled to Russia twice in search of his missing brother, has made a grave claim: the Russian military has confirmed the deaths of at least ten Indian nationals in the ongoing Ukraine war. This shocking revelation highlights the perilous situation of Indians allegedly being coerced into fighting for Russia.
A Brother's Desperate Search in Russia
Jagdeep Kumar, a resident of Goraya in Jalandhar, embarked on a harrowing journey after his brother, Mandeep, went missing in Russia in March last year. His first trip lasted three weeks in March, followed by an even more extended two-month stay from which he returned only on November 8. Exhausting all avenues, Jagdeep's primary goal was to locate his brother and uncover the truth.
"I have been trying to coordinate with the authorities to bring the bodies back," stated a determined Jagdeep. His efforts led him to seek assistance from Rajya Sabha MP Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, whom he met recently. The MP had previously aided his travels to Russia.
The Grim Toll: Ten Lives Lost
Presenting documents at MP Seechewal's office in Sultanpur Lodhi, Jagdeep Kumar detailed the tragic findings from his interactions in Russia. He stated that three of the ten deceased Indians were from Punjab. The remaining seven hailed from Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
While the family of Tejpal Singh from Amritsar had known about his death for about a year, Jagdeep took upon himself the painful task of informing the families of four others. He personally broke the news to the kin of Arvind Kumar and Dhirendra Kumar from Uttar Pradesh, and Vinod and Yogendra Yadav.
Jagdeep also identified four other missing Indians as Deepak, Yogeshwar Prashad, Azharuddin Khan, and Ram Chandra. He explained a disturbing pattern: his brother originally intended to migrate to Italy but was intercepted in Russia. He alleged that Indian men held in Russian jails for minor offences were being forced into joining the Russian army to fight in Ukraine.
Appeal for Government Intervention
Following the revelations, MP Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal made a strong appeal to the Central government. He urged the Centre to leverage its diplomatic influence with Russia to immediately stop the recruitment of Indian youths into the Russian army.
Seechewal also requested urgent government intervention to repatriate the remains of the deceased Indians to their grieving families. Furthermore, he called for strict legal action against unscrupulous travel agents who deceive young men with false promises of jobs and better prospects, ultimately trapping them in conflict zones.
This case underscores a critical issue of Indian citizens being ensnared in foreign conflicts, demanding immediate diplomatic and investigative action from Indian authorities.
