A student from Gujaratwho went to Russia on a student visa has urged Indians not to join the Russian military, saying he was forced into it after being falsely accused in a drugs case. Sahil Mohammad Hussain, who is from Morbi district, shared his story through video messages released by Ukrainianauthorities after he was captured by Ukrainian forces. Hussain said he travelled to Russia in 2024 to study and took up a part-time job with a courier company to support himself.
He claimed his problems began when Russian police allegedly framed him in a narcotics case. According to Hussain, officials told him the charges would be dropped if he agreed to join the Russian Army. “They told me the case would be dropped if I joined the Russian Army,” he said.
Hussain said he agreed to the offer to avoid going to jail. He added that he received around 15 days of training before being sent to the frontline in Ukraine. “The first thing I did when I reached the frontline was surrender to the Ukrainian Army,” he said.
Watch video-
Студент из Индии оказался на войне и умоляет вернуть его домой
22-летний Азат Сахил Хусейн приехал в РФ ради учебы, но вместо университета попал под мобилизацию
По его словам, контракт заставили подписать под угрозой 7 лет тюрьмы, а на фронт отправили без подготовки
Полит. цирк pic.twitter.com/0PQy0CkGgN
— Igor Вице-блогер (@Igor12066848) November 23, 2025
Appeals to Indian government for safe return
In one of the videos recorded after his capture, Hussain appealed to the Indian governmentto help him return home safely. “President Vladimir Putinwas in India recently. I would like to request the government to speak to Putin for my safe return home,” he said.
He also spoke about the fear and uncertainty he faced and warned young Indians against travelling to Russia in similar situations. “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 said.
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In another video, Hussain said financial difficulties and visa problems led him to come into contact with people allegedly involved in drugs. “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 drugs charges. But the jail authorities gave them a choice of getting the charges dropped by joining the Russian military,” he said.
Mother approaches Delhi court seeking his return
After his surrender, Ukrainian forces contacted Hussain’s mother in Gujarat and asked her to raise awareness about Indians being misled into joining the military. She has since filed a petition in a Delhi court seeking her son’s safe return. The case is set to be heard again in February.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has said it is working actively to bring back Indian nationals who have joined the Russian armed forces. On December 5, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the issue was discussed during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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“Our concerted efforts continue on a regular basis to secure the early release of Indian citizens from the Russian Army,” Misri said, while advising Indians to be extremely cautious about accepting such offers.
Families of several Indians stranded in Russia have also staged protests in recent months, asking the government to intervene and ensure their relatives return home safely. |
