A 22-year-old Indian student from Gujarat’s Morbi district, Majoti Sahil Mohammed Hussein, who travelled to Russia for higher studies, has been captured by Ukrainian forces after allegedly being coerced into fighting for the Russian military, reported the Press Trust of India.
According to Ukrainian officials, Hussein surrendered to their troops on the frontlines, saying he had no intention to fight and only joined the Russian army to escape imprisonment.
In a video released by Ukraine’s 63rd Mechanised Brigade, Hussein said he was sentenced to seven years in a drug-related case after arriving in Russia.
“I didn’t want to stay in prison, so I signed a contract… But I wanted to get out of there,” he said, adding that after just 16 days of training, he was sent to the battlefield. “When I saw Ukrainian positions, I put down my rifle and surrendered. I don’t want to go back to Russia.”
The Gujarat police confirmed that Hussein, a resident of Morbi, went to Russia for studies and was later imprisoned in a narcotics case.
Inspector General Ashok Kumar Yadav said investigators are verifying how he obtained his passport and visa and whether he was coerced into joining the Russian forces.
In Morbi, Hussein’s family is devastated. His mother declined to speak to the media and left home seeking privacy.
His maternal uncle, Abdul Ibrahim Majoti, appealed to the Indian government to intervene urgently.
“Sahil went abroad for higher studies. We had no idea about any of this. He was a bright student from an educated family. We just want him and others trapped there brought back safely,” he said.
Hussein’s uncle told Republic TV that the family last spoke with him two months ago, when he mentioned his studies and a part-time courier job. “We never imagined he was in any kind of trouble. He was trapped by Russian authorities,” the uncle said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has not yet commented but is verifying the report through its embassy in Kyiv.
Last month, the government had urged Moscow to release and repatriate 27 Indian nationals reportedly serving in the Russian military amid claims that several Indians on student or work visas were misled or pressured into joining combat units.
For now, Hussein’s family and many in India are waiting anxiously for his safe return.
