Set to join Russia university, Uttarkhand man ‘sent to war front in Ukraine’

RUDRAPUR: A man from Udham Singh Nagar who had recently travelled to Russia for higher studies was allegedly coerced into joining the Russian army and sent to the war front in Ukraine, his family said, adding they have had no contact with him since early Sept and are now desperate for help. The family of Rakesh Kumar, 30, has written to the ministry of external affairs (MEA), sought support from the Indian embassy in Moscow, and approached local officials in a bid to bring him back home.Rakesh, a resident of Kushmoth village in Shaktifarm under Sitarganj tehsil, had left for Russia on Aug 7 after securing admission to St Petersburg University on a study visa. However, within a few days, he began hinting at being in a troubling situation, suggesting things were not going as planned.His elder brother, Deepu Maurya, said the last time they had a direct conversation was on Aug 30, when Rakesh informed them that he had been forcibly drafted into the Russian army and would soon be deployed to the war zone in Ukraine. After that call, his phone went unreachable. The family later received a photo of Rakesh in a Russian military uniform, which only heightened their fears and confirmed their worst suspicions. A few days later, Rakesh called again, this time from an unfamiliar Russian number. In a short and distressed conversation, he told them that his passport and personal documents had been seized, his official emails had been deleted, and that he had undergone military training in the Donbas region before being sent to the battlefield. That was the last they heard from him.”We do not even know if he is alive. We just want the govt to bring him back home safely,” said Deepu. The family wrote to MEA on Sept 5 and has also reached out to elected representatives and the local administration.This is not the first such case to surface in recent months. At least 20 Indian nationals – mostly from Punjab and Haryana – have claimed they were tricked into going to Russia on the pretext of education or employment, only to be coerced into joining Russian military.