Kanpur engineer detained in Moscow, wife seeks government help over alleged pressure to join Russian military

A Kanpur engineer’s wife has sought government help after claiming that her husband was detained by police in Moscow and is now being pressured to join the Russian military.

Sneha Chandan Gupta, who is currently in Moscow with the couple’s 10-year-old son, has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for help in securing her husband’s release and safe return to India.

Sneha said in a video shared on social media that her husband, Chandan Gupta, was taken into custody by Moscow police at around 12.30 pm on Sunday. She said she has been left stranded in Moscow and does not know what to do.

According to Sneha, the family is from Kanpur and Chandan works as an engineer. She said he is associated with a company based in Sector 62, Noida, and had travelled to Russia on a work visa for an assignment.

Wife claims husband was pressured to join Russian military

Sneha said her husband had not done anything wrong but was still detained and taken to jail. She further claimed that he was being pressured to join the Russian army after his detention.

Watch the viral post here:

She said a shortage of personnel in the Russian military had led to efforts to recruit foreign nationals, including Indians, into the armed forces.

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Sneha also claimed that her husband had been harassed around Moscow Day, shortly before he was detained.

There is no independent confirmation so far of the circumstances of Chandan’s detention, the allegations made against him, or whether any formal process has been started to enlist him in the Russian military.

Family appeals to Modi, Yogi Adityanath

In the video, Sneha appeared emotional as she appealed to the Indian and Uttar Pradesh governments for help.

She said she does not understand Russian and has therefore been unable to find out exactly why her husband was detained or what is happening to him.

She also spoke about their 10-year-old son and the distress caused to the family by the situation.

Sneha urged people to share her video and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to intervene and help bring her husband back to India safely.

No official confirmation yet

Chandan is reportedly working in Russia through an Indian company headquartered in Noida, which also has business operations in Russia.

However, there has been no official statement so far from the company, the Indian Embassy or Russian authorities confirming his detention or the allegation that he is being pressured to join the Russian military.

The case comes against the backdrop of earlier cases involving Indians who travelled to Russia after being offered jobs and later became involved in Russian military activities.

At present, several details of Chandan’s case remain unclear, including the reason for his detention, his current location and whether any process to enlist him in the Russian military has actually begun.

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Indians in Russian forces

The case comes amid continuing concerns over Indians being recruited or coerced into Russian military service during the Russia-Ukraine war.

As of December 2025, 202 Indians had been recruited into Russian forces, of whom 26 were killed and seven were missing, India Today reported.

The Indian government said some of them had been misled or coerced into military service and was working to secure their discharge and repatriation. It was also coordinating DNA-based identification of deceased Indians.

Separately, some Indian nationals had joined Ukraine’s International Legion, with casualties reported on both sides.

In July 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs warned Indians against fraudulent overseas job offers after cases of citizens being misled into joining the Russian military.

Diplomatic efforts have secured the release of 139 nationals, while around two dozen remain in Russia.

The Supreme Court has also directed measures to support affected families, including nodal officers, DNA testing, legal aid, compensation and repatriation assistance.