The Embassy of India in Russia reported the death of its citizen Shri Mohammed Asfan. The Hindustan Times writes that he was in the ranks of the Russian army and died in Ukraine.
The embassy in X (Twitter) only indicated that Asfan "died tragically" and his remains will be transported to his homeland.
The newspaper writes from the words of Asfan Imranʼs brother that the deceased was deceived and recruited. Asfan learned about working in Russia from the YouTube blogger Baba Vlogs. After arriving in Moscow, Asfan and two other Indians were forced to sign a document in Russian. It turned out to be a contract with the army, but they were promised that they would work as "helpers" and not take part in the fighting.
The agents who recruited Asfan later told his family that he was alive and in the territory of Maryinka in Ukraine. Then they were told that he was wounded, but the embassy already had information about his death.
There are reports that the Russians recruited quite a few Indians for the war under the guise of employment — at least several dozen. On March 4, Indian journalist Uma Suthir published a video in X, in which a group of seven young Indian citizens in Russian military uniforms are asking for help as they are being prepared to go into battle against Ukrainian troops.
- In February 2024, the Indian authorities reported that they were trying to return home about 20 citizens of the country who ended up in the Russian army. AFP wrote that they could enter the Russian Federation as "army assistants" — they were offered to clean destroyed buildings, but upon arrival they were given weapons.
- Previously, the facts of recruitment into the Russian army of citizens of Nepal, some of whom have already died, Syria, Serbia and Somalia were established. The Russian Federation also recruited illegal migrants from the Finnish border, who tried to get to the EU through Russia, into its army.