Three Indian students from western Uttar Pradesh vanish in Russia after alleged forced enlistment
Three men from Muzaffarnagar and Shamli disappeared in Moscow after their passports were taken and they say they were compelled to join the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.
Three young men from western Uttar Pradesh - Himanshu Sharma and Shakti Punder from Muzaffarnagar and Ashu Saini from Shamli - vanished in Moscow after a brief call on July 30 in which they claimed their passports were seized and they were being compelled to serve in the Russian army in Ukraine. The three had been enrolled in a Russian language course and had arrived in Russia separately via a Shamli-based travel agent who demanded ₹3.5 lakh per person, promising student visas and permissible part-time employment.
Saini’s last 30-second conversation ended abruptly, while Sharma and Punder were due to return home in August when their one-year visas expired. Their families have written to the Prime Minister’s Office, the district administration and the Uttar Pradesh government seeking assistance, and police are investigating the travel agent’s role. The Indian external affairs ministry has said it is pursuing the release of Indian nationals serving in the Russian army, and the Supreme Court is hearing a petition filed by relatives of 26 Indians allegedly lured into Russian military service.
Why it matters
The case highlights risks of recruitment scams that can drag Indian citizens into foreign conflicts, prompting diplomatic and legal action.
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