Representative image (AP)
JAMMU: On Sept 13, 2025, a 23-year-old Jammu man, who had travelled to Russia a little over a month ago with dreams to land a job, made a WhatsApp call to his family, informing them that he was being sent to the frontlines in the Russia-Ukraine war, and pleading for help. That was the last time Sachin Khajuria’s family heard from him.Believed to have been killed in Sept last year, Sachin was cremated amid an outpouring of grief in his village, Pahariwalla in Akhnoor, on Sunday, after his mortal remains arrived earlier in the day.He is the second person from Jammu to have died in the Russia-Ukraine war. In Feb last year, the body of 24-year-old Manjinder Singh from Gowana village in the R S Pura sector of Jammu, had been repatriated under similar circumstances. Singh had travelled to Russia in Dec 2024 on a student visa, with the aim of pursuing higher education and also working to support his family financially.Sachin and two other youths from Jammu district, Sumeet Sharma and Atul Sharma, had reportedly travelled to Russia last year after receiving offer letters for what were projected as civilian construction jobs, including bunker-related work. According to their families, the offers promised a one-time payment of Rs 20 lakh, a monthly salary of Rs 2.5 lakh, and other benefits. Sachin had flown to Russia on Aug 4, 2025, on a study visa. His brother Koushal Khajuria said his phone was switched off after the family last spoke to him in Sept.In Dec, the families of Sachin and Sumeet approached the authorities saying they had no information about their sons’ whereabouts since Sept, and alleged that the youths were duped by agents who promised lucrative civilian jobs in Russia, but were instead forced into the Russian army and in the war zone. They also met Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh and J&K cabinet Minister Satish Sharma, to take up matters at a higher level.Subsequently, the family received an email requesting blood samples for DNA tests. His younger brother Koushal sent his blood sample, and the authorities confirmed Sachin’s death around 10 days ago.According to sources, the family was informed that the body could not be recovered immediately due to ongoing hostilities, and was retrieved weeks later in a decomposed state before being chemically preserved and repatriated.The ministry of external affairs (MEA) had informed the Rajya Sabha on Dec 18, 2025, that 202 Indian nationals are believed to have been recruited into the Russian armed forces since 2022, with 26 deaths reported. The MEA advised Indians to avoid overseas job offers linked to conflict zones, while stating that the matter of Indians recruited for combat operations through fake job offers had been taken up with Russian authorities.
