Indian man fighting with Russian forces surrenders to Ukrainian Army, Kyiv says

An Indian citizen fighting alongside Russian forces has surrendered to the Ukrainian military, Kyiv claimed on Tuesday.

The 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Army posted a video on Telegram showing a man calling himself Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein in its custody. The man claims to be a 22-year-old from Morbi in the western state of Gujarat.

In the one minute and 45 second-video, Mr Hussein – wearing a red T-shirt and speaking in Russian – claims he was sent to fight in Ukraine after being convicted on drug charges in Russia.

The Ukrainian military claimed he shared his story voluntarily. “He studied in Russia, but got caught with drugs. And in order not to go to prison, he went to war,” it said on Telegram, accusing Moscow of “actively recruiting foreigners into their army”.

There was no official statement from New Delhi.

Government sources told the Hindustan Times that the Indian embassy in Kyiv was trying to verify the authenticity of the video and that no formal communication had been received from Ukrainian authorities.

India has previously raised concerns about its citizens being recruited into the Russian military. Last month, the foreign ministry said it had “strongly urged” Moscow to release and repatriate 27 Indian nationals currently serving with Russian forces.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said in September that families had recently informed Indian authorities about more Indian nationals being recruited.

“We have taken up the matter vigorously with our mission in Russia and with the authorities in Moscow, urging that our nationals be released and brought back at the earliest,” he said. He warned against “temptations or employment opportunities” leading Indians to join the Russian army.

Officials in New Delhi estimate that over 150 Indians have been recruited by the Russian military since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. At least 12 have been killed, 96 have been discharged, and 16 remain missing.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi raised the issue during his visit to Moscow last year.

On Tuesday, he called to wish Russian leader Vladimir Putin on his birthday and they discussed ongoing cooperation and reaffirmed their “special and privileged strategic partnership”, according to an Indian government readout.

Mr Modi also said he looked forward to welcoming Mr Putin to India for a summit in early December.