Punjab youth missing in Russia-Ukraine war: With several men from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and other states allegedly “deceivingly recruited in Russian Army” for the war with Ukraine, the whereabouts of Ludhiana youth Samarjeet Singh, 21, remain unknown “nearly a month after he was sent to the frontline with weapons to fight the war”. The Indian Express accessed this information through another such recruitee in Russian Army, Buta Singh (25), who hails from Punjab’s Moga district. Buta is currently admitted in a hospital near Moscow after he was injured in the war. He is a resident of Chak Kania village of Moga. Buta told The Indian Express over phone Tuesday that Samarjeet Singh's condition and location remain unknown for nearly a month now. “The authorities here have failed to contact him via walkie-talkie… When I asked the Army Commander about Samarjeet, they said they have no information,” Buta said. Samarjeet, a resident of Daba area in Ludhiana, had gone to Russia on study visa. A qualified X-ray technician, Samarjeet had gone to Russia in July this year after “the agent promised him the job of an assistant to the doctors in the Russian Army”. Buta also informed The Indian Express about the details of how things unfolded in the Russia-Ukraine war zone. “We all were sent on a war mission nearly a month ago but I got injured and was admitted to a hospital near Moscow,” he said, adding that he was the only Indian admitted while at least 14 others from their group are still in the war. “I spoke to our translator here who deploys soldiers in war zones and keeps in touch with them via walkie talkie. He said that Samarjeet did not reach the destination while the other man who accompanied him did,” Buta told. “He said Samarjeet went missing,” Buta said over phone. According to the authorities, they are unable to contact Samarjeet because he has apparently entered the red zone, he said. “The local authorities here believe that Samarjeet has died," he added. The authorities also informed that Samarjeet was grievously injured in a drone attack and he never reported back, he said. Buta said that he also contacted the Russian Army commander’s office to ask about Samarjeet, Gursewak (a recruitee from Punjab’s Gurdaspur) and Atul (from Jammu). “The commander's office said they have no information about Samarjeet and Gursewak. However, the local translator told me that there were hardly any chances of survival of those who are missing," said Buta. “Otho bach ke aana minus ikk percent chance hai… kismat changi hai tann… nahi taan aukha hi hai… (The chances of returning alive from a war zone here are minus one per cent. Only if you are extremely lucky else it’s difficult),” Buta said. He informed that when injured, one has to walk to the hospital in order to get medical attention. “I walked for 20 kilometers to reach the hospital. No one helps otherwise,” Buta said, urging the Indian government to intervene immediately and rescue him. Buta Singh had also arrived in Russia on a study visa just to “find a decent job”. Ludhiana family clings on to hope However, Samarjeet’s family is still clinging on to hope despite Buta’s information. They said they were still “very positive” of their son’s homecoming. “Assi taan bas rabb de bharose baithe haan (God is our only hope),” His father Charanjit Singh told The Indian Express. “We are not going to believe anyone who says he has died, till we don’t have concrete proof from the government. I know my son is very intelligent and knows how to handle tough situations. He had done the entire paperwork to go to Russia on his own.” Samarjeet’s younger brother Vishavpreet Singh said, “We spoke to him on September 8 last and since then his phone is not reachable.” His family said he had gone “to work, not to fight a war” and he was “deceivingly recruited in the Russian Army, handed weapons and forced to fight the war”. His father said, “We got to know of his Army recruitment only after we saw him in camouflaged uniform on video call.”
