'We have no food, no training': Punjab men on visitor visa duped into Russian army

The Russia–Ukraine war has stretched into its fourth year, and now a disturbing account has surfaced from Punjab. Several men said they were lured abroad by agents on the promise of jobs, only to be trafficked into Russia on student or tourist visas and forcibly recruited into the army.

In a video call with India Today TV, Gursevak Singh from Jalandhar described how he and 14 others were trapped. “We are stuck on a Russian visit on visitor visa—we have been handed over guns and no training. We don’t even have food to eat. But now time is running out,” he said.

Another man added: “Of the 15 of us, five have died. Eight have already been sent to the frontline, and now six of us are being prepared for deployment. We came here on student visas, but without any training, we were pushed into the army. We request the Modi government to evacuate us.”

The men say they were taken to Moscow over the past six months and are now stranded in Donetsk’s Selydove region, captured by Russia in November 2024. Families back home allege little action from the Indian Embassy despite repeated appeals. Videos released by the stranded men directly urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi for urgent rescue.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that the matter has been raised with Russian authorities. “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,” an MEA official said.

For families, the wait has been harrowing. Parminder Kaur lost her husband Tejpal Singh, who had been recruited in January 2024. “For one and a half years I’ve been struggling for answers. It was presented as a job, not army recruitment—it was a scam. Many youths are still stuck there,” she said. Others, like Gurmail Singh’s relatives, have no clarity if their loved ones are even alive.

Pargat Singh, Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment, has demanded action against the agents and immediate evacuation of those stranded. “Lip service won’t help,” he said, calling the ordeal of Punjab’s youth a matter of urgent national concern.