7 men from Punjab and Haryana Travels to Russia as Tourists; Deceived into Involvement in Ukraine Conflict

A group of young men from Punjab and Haryana have made a help request to the government, stating that they were conned into serving in the Russian military and were deployed to fight in Moscow’s conflict with Ukraine.

A 1 minute 45 seconds duration video that went viral on X (formerly Twitter) features seven men donning skull caps, or military-style winter jackets with hoods. They are standing in a dark, unclean room with a window at one end that is shuttered and locked. Seven of them, including 19-year-old Harsh from Karnal, Haryana, are gathered in a corner while he records a video message outlining their predicament and pleading for assistance.

Though they had a 90-day visa to Russia, they then travelled to neighbouring area, Belarus. In the video, Harsh states that a  travel agent proposed to transport them to Belarus but they unaware that a visa was required. After asking for extra money on their travel to Belarus without a visa, the agent apparently left.

“The police apprehended us and turned us over to Russian authorities, who forced us to sign documents.” Harsh said.

According to Harsh’s relatives, who spoke with NDTV, the young man had also looked for work overseas and had been informed that traveling through Russia would make it simpler for him to emigrate to the nation of his choosing.

“We are aware… the Indian Embassy has taken up their early discharge with the relevant Russian authorities. We urge all Indians to stay away from this conflict” – A Government Spokesperson stated.

As one of Moscow’s closest allies, Belarus is dependent on Russia for both political and economic support; the Kremlin utilized Belarus’ territory as a staging ground for its invasion of Ukraine. Regular combined military exercises since then have raised suspicions that Minsk may be getting ready to take on a more active role.

Seven of the soldiers in this video are presumably among the almost two dozen who are either fighting on the front lines of the conflict or are stuck in Russia. Everyone claims they were duped into enlisting in the military.