A Gujarat student detained in Ukraine alleges he was coerced into joining the Russian Army after false drug charges, prompting India to raise the issue diplomatically.
A screengrab from a video released by Ukrainian authorities shows a Gujarat-based student who alleges he was forced to join the Russian Army after being framed in a drug case.
A Gujarat-based youth who travelled to Russia on a student visa has issued a strong warning to fellow Indians, urging them not to enlist in the Russian military under any circumstances.
In a video message recorded after his detention by Ukrainian forces, the student claimed he was coerced into military service after being threatened with fabricated drug charges in Russia. He said the case was falsely slapped on him and that he was told the charges would be withdrawn only if he agreed to join the Russian Army.
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The student, identified as Sahil Mohammad Hussain from Morbi district in Gujarat, is currently being held in Ukraine following his capture. In the video circulated by Ukrainian authorities, he appealed to the Indian government for help in returning home. He said that while pursuing his studies in Russia, he had been working part-time with a courier company to support himself.
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According to his account, Russian police implicated him in a narcotics case despite him having done nothing illegal. He alleged that several others were similarly targeted and pressured to choose between jail and military service.
An earlier report by the BBC in October had cited his mother as saying that her son travelled to Russia in January 2024 to pursue higher education, completed a short language course, and later moved cities for college. She alleged that drugs were planted in a parcel he was carrying during courier work in April 2024, following which he was detained.
The BBC report also noted that the family lost contact with him for several months after his arrest and came to know of his situation only after the Ukrainian video surfaced. Claims made in the video regarding the circumstances of his recruitment and deployment could not be independently verified.
In another video message, Hussain said he accepted the offer only to escape the false charges. After undergoing around 15 days of training, he was deployed to the frontline. He claimed that upon reaching the combat zone, he immediately surrendered to Ukrainian troops.
Hussain said Ukrainian forces later shared the videos with his mother in Gujarat and encouraged her to alert others about Indian nationals being misled into joining the Russian military. His mother has since moved a Delhi court seeking her son’s safe return to India. The matter is scheduled to be heard next in February.
“I came to Russia for studies in 2024. But due to financial and visa issues, I came in touch with some Russians who turned out to be in narcotics… I have not done anything. At least 700 people were jailed by Russia on drug charges. But the jail authorities gave them a choice of getting the charges dropped by joining the Russian military,” the Indian student said in the video.
Expressing despair over his situation, he warned young Indians planning to travel to Russia to remain extremely cautious, saying many fraudsters operate there and can trap people in false criminal cases.
“I feel hopeless. I don’t know what will happen. But I do have a message for young people who are coming to Russia, ‘be careful’. There are many scamsters here who can falsely implicate you in a drug case.”
He also made a direct appeal to the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for intervention.
“I would like to appeal to the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, please help,” he added.
Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India was actively working to secure the release of its citizens who had ended up serving in the Russian armed forces. He also said the issue had been raised by Prime Minister Modi during discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Misri reiterated that Indian nationals should strictly avoid any offers linked to joining the Russian military, noting that several individuals were currently stranded and seeking assistance. Families of such Indians have also been staging protests, demanding stronger diplomatic intervention to bring their relatives back safely.
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