As MEA says 10 Indians have returned from Russia-Ukraine war, families of those still there ask: ‘Why not name them?’

From Gulbarga, Mohammed Samir Ahmed’s elder brother Mustafa also spoke about the lack of clarity. “There’s so much hype about youths being rescued from Russia, but who are they, and where are they? My brother and two others from Gulbarga are not among them,” he said.

Mohammed Sufiyan from Narayanpet, Telangana (left) and Mohammed Samir Ahmed from Gulbarga (right).

The brothers last spoke on Tuesday evening. “He told me there was buzz among some Indian youths that the PM was there. Apart from that, they had no other information, nor has anyone contacted them,” Mustafa said.

Sufiyan’s brother Salman said they last spoke on Sunday evening. “He had no idea about the PM’s visit. He is stationed just a few kilometres from the Ukraine border. As the PM was in Russia, I called the Indian embassy in Moscow, but officials there had no clue about bringing the youths back home. It is very frustrating,” he said.

Gurpreet from Hoshiarpur has not returned either, his cousin Sandhu said.

Mohammed Imran, brother of Mohammed Afsan of Hyderabad, who was killed in a drone strike in March, said he is in touch with the families from Gulbarga, Hoshiarpur and Kashmir. “They all say the same thing… None of the youths we know have returned,” Imran, who coordinates with other families, said.

Mohammed Imran with a photo of his brother Afsan. (Express photo)

Afsan (30) was working as a salesman at a clothes showroom at Nampally when he came to know of a job opportunity in Moscow, which promised a salary of Rs 45,000 per month that would gradually increase to Rs 1.5 lakh a month. He was told that after working for a year, he could apply for a Russian passport and citizenship. He left for Moscow on November 9 last year, but upon arrival, came to know that he had to work as a helper for Russian soldiers at the warfront. In video calls to his brother, he and other youths who had been similarly duped appealed for help to return home. Afsan was killed in a drone strike near the Ukraine border in March. Another youth from Surat, Hemil Mangukiya, was also killed on February 21.

The families had earlier told The Indian Express that the youths came in contact with an agent named Faisal Khan, who runs a YouTube channel, and were brainwashed into applying for the jobs in Moscow.

Last month, the MEA had said that 10 Indian nationals working as support staff with the Russian military have been released and have returned to the country.

On Wednesday, Russia’s Charge d’Affaires Roman Babushkin underscored the global significance of the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also stated that Russia was on the same page as India on the issue of Indian nationals working as support staff in the Russian army, and that Russia hopes to resolve it soon.

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