(Image source from: Indiatoday.in)
A 22-year-old Indian citizen, who was reportedly fighting for the Russian military, has allegedly been captured by Ukrainian forces. Indian officials have not verified the capture and mentioned that they are trying to confirm reports from Ukrainian media that name the Indian individual as Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein, who seems to be from Morbi in Gujarat. "We are checking if the report is true. We have not gotten any official communication from Ukraine about this," sources from the Ministry of External Affairs stated. According to a story from The Kyiv Independent, Hussein traveled to Russia to attend a university and was recruited by the Russian army to fight against Ukraine.
Hussein was featured in a video taken by Ukraine's 63rd Mechanised Brigade that captured him. In this clip, he mentioned that he received a seven-year prison sentence for drug offenses in Russia. While in jail, he was given a chance to sign a contract with the Russian military to lessen his punishment, which he accepted.
"I didn't want to remain in jail, so I agreed to a contract for the 'special military operation' (Russia's name for its large invasion of Ukraine). But I just wanted to leave," Hussein reportedly shared. He also told the Ukrainian military that he had 16 days of training from Russian forces and was sent on his first combat mission on October 1. Hussein stated that he fought for three days and then, after an argument with his commander, he gave himself up to Ukrainian troops. "I found a Ukrainian trench around 2-3 kilometers away... I immediately put down my gun and said that I didn't want to fight. I needed help," he said. This news came after earlier reports suggested that Russian forces were recruiting individuals from various countries, including India and North Korea, by offering attractive job opportunities or other incentives. Hussein claimed he was promised money for joining the Russian army, which he never received. "I don't want to return to Russia. There is no honesty there, nothing. I would prefer to be in jail here (in Ukraine)," he stated.
In January, the Ministry of External Affairs reported that 12 Indian citizens, part of a total of 126 who were deceived into going to Russia, have died while fighting for the Russian Army in Ukraine. At that time, the ministry mentioned that sixteen others were "missing." Later, the Indian government addressed the issue strongly with Moscow and sought the quick release of Indians caught in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. New Delhi has stayed neutral regarding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, choosing not to pick sides, not participating in international sanctions against Moscow, and advocating for a peaceful solution.
