Azamgarh/Mau:
It is almost three years since the Ukraine-Russia war, but the war is not showing any sign of stopping. Surprisingly, this war taking place hundreds of miles away is also related to two districts of Uttar Pradesh. Last year, about two dozen youth from Azamgarh and Mau districts went to Russia, thousands of kilometers away from home, in the hope of a better life for themselves and their families. Of the 13 people who left for Russia, three have lost their lives in the battlefield and two have returned injured in the war. However, there is no information about the whereabouts of the other eight people.

These people were offered jobs as security guards, assistants and cooks in Russia and were promised Rs 2 lakh every month, but in return they were forcibly sent to the battlefield.

Kanhaiya Yadav of Azamgarh and Shyamsundar and Sunil Yadav of Mau have lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war. Rakesh Yadav of Azamgarh and Brijesh Yadav of Mau have returned after being injured in the war and are now at home. Meanwhile, there is no news of eight people – Vinod Yadav, Yogendra Yadav, Arvind Yadav, Ramchandra, Azharuddin Khan, Humeshwar Prasad, Deepak and Dhirendra Kumar. Family members are still waiting to know about him.

‘My brother was framed’

Yogendra Yadav’s mother, wife and children are in shock in Khojapur village of Azamgarh district. Yogendra Yadav’s younger brother Ashish Yadav said, “An agent Vinod Yadav in Mau trapped my brother. He told him that the job was for the post of security guard, but he was sent to the Russian border.”

He told that his brother had left home on January 15, 2024 with three agents Vinod, Sumit and Dushyant. Yadav said, “After reaching Russia, the brother was forcibly trained and then recruited into the army.”

He appealed to the Indian government to intervene to trace his brother, saying, “We last spoke to him in May 2024. He told us over the phone that he was injured in the war on May 9, 2024. Haven’t heard anything about him since.”

Mother cried remembering her son

When Azharuddin Khan’s mother Nasreen, who lives in Ghulami Ka Pura area of ​​Azamgarh, was asked about her son, she started crying. He recalled how an agent had lured him with a job with a high salary, which took his son away from him. He said, “I have not spoken to him for the last ten months.”

He said, “He left with Agent Vinod on January 26, 2024. He talked about getting the job of Azharuddin’s security guard. He said that he would get Rs 2 lakh every month.”

Azharuddin Khan was the main earning person in his family. Since his departure, he was in regular contact with his family. Azharuddin had told the family that he was being trained and sent to the battlefield.

When Azharuddin’s father came to know about his son joining the Russian Army, he suffered a stroke on April 1 and died seven days later on April 8.

A distressed Nasreen said, “My last conversation with my son was on April 27. He told me Amma, I will work here for six months and after that I will return home. Since then I have not heard anything.”

Different houses, but same story

The father of Humeshwar Prasad, resident of Sathianv town, also has a similar story. Agent Vinod Yadav took his son away on the pretext of getting him a job as a security guard.

Indu Prakash said, “They made him sign an agreement, then he was recruited into the (Russian) army. He was given training for 15 days.”

“Everyone at home is worried,” Indu Prakash said crying. He last spoke to his son in March last year.

When he contacted the Indian Embassy, ​​he was told that his son was “missing”.

Pawan, a resident of Harraiya, last spoke to his brother Deepak on 6 July 2024. He left for Russia early last year.

Only two demands of the victims’ families

All these families are demanding two things from the government – ​​the return of Indians stranded in Russia and action against the agents who forced their loved ones to enter the battlefield.

Kanhaiya Yadav, resident of Raunapur village of Azamgarh district, had gone to Russia for the job of a cook. However, he joined the Russian Army and died on 6 December 2024 after being badly injured.

Kanhaiya Yadav’s son Ajay said, “I last spoke to my father on May 25, 2024. He told me that he was badly injured in the war and was undergoing treatment. After that I did not talk to him.” of.”

Months later, in December, the embassy informed him that his father had died.

Agreement signed fraudulently

Rakesh Yadav was injured in the war, but he was one of the few Indians who could return home. He said, “I went to Russia in January 2024. The agent told me about the job of a security guard and a monthly salary of Rs 2 lakh.”

Yadav recalled, “When we reached Russia, we were made to sign an agreement paper, which was in Russian. When we asked about the contents of the document, we were told that it described the work we would do in Russia.” “I will.”

He had reached Russia with Vinod Yadav, who is currently stranded in Russia due to the war.

Soon after, they were given combat training in firing rockets, throwing bombs and using other weapons.

He said, “When we protested, we were told that we were being given self-defense training.”

12 Indians dead, 16 missing: MEA

The Indian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that 12 Indians have been killed while serving in the Russian army and another 16 listed by the country are missing.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, out of 126 known cases of Indian nationals serving in the Russian armed forces, 96 individuals have already returned. He has been discharged by the Russian armed forces. Of the remaining 18 Indian nationals in the Russian Armed Forces, the whereabouts of 16 individuals are currently unknown.”

Russia has categorized 16 Indians as “missing”.

In August last year, the Russian Embassy had said that the country’s Defense Ministry had stopped recruiting citizens of many foreign countries, including India, into military service.