A 25-year-old man from Punjab’s Moga district, who had gone to Moscow on a student visa last year, has reportedly been captured by the Russian army and pushed into the battlefield.
The man, identified as Boota Singh, went to Russia on October 24, 2024, through a Delhi-based agent who charged his family Rs 3.5 lakh. He was working as a labourer in Moscow for the past few months before being detained by Russian forces on August 18 this year.
In a video that surfaced recently, Singh revealed that he, along with around 14 other from Punjab and Haryana, had been taken to army camps and were being forced into combat without any military training.
He claimed that five or six of them had already gone missing after being sent to the frontlines.
Singh’s last communication with his family came via a WhatsApp voice message on September 12. Since then, his family has lost contact with him. Distressed over the situation, they have appealed to the Indian government to intervene and bring him back safely.
We sent our son abroad to improve our family’s condition. Now we fear for his life. We want him back in India, Singh’s mother said, adding that the family has been struggling financially.
Singh, the only son of farmer Ram Singh, has two sisters. Earlier, in 2019, he had worked in Singapore before returning to India in 2024. Later, through a YouTube contact, he connected with the Delhi agent who facilitated his travel to Russia.
The family recently tried to meet local MLA Davinderjit Singh Laddi Dhose, but could not as he was away. The legislator later assured them that he would raise the matter with the Punjab Chief Minister and extend all possible help.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) raised the issue with Russian authorities in both Moscow and Delhi. “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,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week.
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