Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu has sought urgent intervention from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to rescue Punjabi youths trapped in Russia after allegedly being duped with job promises and coerced into serving in the Russian Army near the Ukraine warfront. Sandhu’s appeal comes amid reports that 12 Indians have already died in combat, 18 remain stuck in Russia, and 16 of them are untraceable. Out of 126 Indians who were pushed into military service, 96 have been brought back with diplomatic intervention. Most of these cases involve young men from Punjab who were misled into signing contracts for construction or helper jobs, only to find themselves deployed on the frontline. The MP highlighted the plight of Buta Singh, a resident of Chak Kanian Kalan village in Moga, who contacted him from Russia with a desperate plea. Singh said he paid Rs 3.5 lakh to a Delhi-based agent for a job in Russia but was instead forced into Army training with two others — Samarjeet Singh from Ludhiana and Gursewak Singh from Gurdaspur. “We were taken to a camp, our passports were seized, and we were trained for 15 days before being sent to fight under threat of death,” Singh said in a voice message shared with Sandhu. He added that he was seriously injured in a drone attack and treated for a month in Moscow hospitals. Singh alleged that Samarjeet was killed in the conflict while the others barely survived. Sandhu said he is closely coordinating with the MEA to secure the safe return of those still trapped. “I also urge parents and youths to stay vigilant and not fall prey to fraudulent agents promising lucrative overseas jobs,” he cautioned. The MP recalled a similar rescue in May 2025, when five Punjabi youths were freed from captivity in Colombia while attempting to enter the US via the ‘Dunki route’. He credited the MEA for swift action in such cases but stressed the need for stronger crackdowns on illegal migration networks. Punjab, he added, continues to be a hub for such exploitation, with families selling land and property to fund risky migration routes that often end in tragedy. “Shortcuts offered by deceptive agents only put lives at risk. Our youngsters must follow legal channels for overseas opportunities,” Sandhu said.
