A 22-year-old Indian student from Gujarat, Majoti Sahil Mohammed Hussein, who traveled to Russia for higher studies, has been captured by Ukrainian forces after allegedly being coerced into fighting for the Russian military. According to the Press Trust of India, Hussein, a resident of Morbi, Gujarat, surrendered to Ukrainian troops on the frontlines, stating he had no intention to fight and only joined the Russian army to escape imprisonment.
In a video released by Ukraine's 63rd Mechanized Brigade, Hussein said he was sentenced to seven years in a drug-related case after arriving in Russia. To avoid incarceration, he signed a contract to join the Russian military's "special military operation" in Ukraine, hoping to be released after one year of service. "I didn't want to stay in prison, so I signed a contract… But I wanted to get out of there," he said.
Hussein stated that after only 16 days of basic military training, he was deployed to the front lines on October 1st. Shortly after reaching the front, a disagreement with his commander and the realization of the situation led him to surrender. "I came across a Ukrainian trench position about 2-3 kilometers away. I immediately put down my rifle and said I didn't want to fight. I needed help," he revealed in the video. Hussein also expressed his desire not to return to Russia, stating he would rather face imprisonment in Ukraine. He also claimed he was promised financial compensation for joining the Russian Army, but never received it.
The Gujarat police confirmed that Hussein went to Russia for studies and was later imprisoned in a narcotics case. Inspector General Ashok Kumar Yadav said investigators are verifying how he obtained his passport and visa and whether he was coerced into joining the Russian forces.
Hussein's family in Morbi is devastated. His maternal uncle, Abdul Ibrahim Majoti, appealed to the Indian government to intervene urgently. "Sahil went abroad for higher studies. We had no idea about any of this... We just want him and others trapped there brought back safely," he said. The family last spoke with him two months ago when he mentioned his studies and a part-time courier job. "We never imagined he was in any kind of trouble. He was trapped by Russian authorities," the uncle said.
India's Ministry of External Affairs is verifying the report through its embassy in Kyiv but has not yet commented. Last month, the government urged Moscow to release and repatriate 27 Indian nationals reportedly serving in the Russian military, amid claims that several Indians on student or work visas were misled or pressured into joining combat units.
This incident highlights growing concerns about foreign nationals participating in the Russia-Ukraine war. Earlier reports indicate that several students from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh who went to Russia for studies are allegedly being forced to fight. In January of this year, the government had put the count of such Indians at 126, where 96 people had returned to India, at least 12 had been killed, and 16 were missing. For now, Hussein's family and many in India are waiting anxiously for his safe return.
