Three young men from western Uttar Pradesh have reportedly gone missing in Russia after their families alleged that they were forced to join the Russian Army and fight in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The missing men have been identified as Himanshu Sharma, 24, and Shakti Punder, 23, from Muzaffarnagar, and Ashu Saini, 25, from Shamli. Their families said they have not been able to contact them since July 30, when they received what they described as panicked phone calls from Moscow.
According to their families, the three men had travelled to Russia separately to pursue a Russian language course. They allegedly went through an agent based in Shamli, who charged each of them around ₹3.5 lakh. The agent had reportedly promised to arrange student visas and help them find permissible part-time employment.
Saini travelled to Russia in April after completing his intermediate studies. Sharma and Punder were expected to return to India in August, as their one-year visas were due to expire.
However, during their last conversations with their families in late July, the three allegedly said that their passports had been taken away and that they were being forced into military service. Since then, their families have been unable to establish regular contact with them.
Saini's sister, Anshul, said she managed to speak to her brother for only about 30 seconds during their last call. According to her, he told the family that he was fine, but the call was disconnected soon afterwards. Despite repeated attempts, the family could not reach him again.
The disappearance has left the families deeply worried. Saini's father, Rakesh Kumar, a farmer, has approached the Prime Minister's Office seeking urgent intervention to locate his son and secure his return to India.
Punder's father, Vipin Kumar, has also sought help from the district administration and the Uttar Pradesh government. He said the family has been living in uncertainty since receiving the last communication from his son and has been unable to obtain clear information about his whereabouts.
Police are also looking into the alleged role of the Shamli-based agent who arranged the men's travel to Russia. The investigation is expected to examine whether they were misled about the nature of their employment and how they allegedly ended up being recruited into military service.
The case comes amid wider concerns over Indians being recruited or allegedly lured into the Russian military. In July, the Ministry of External Affairs said India was pursuing the release of around two dozen Indian nationals serving in the Russian Army.
The Supreme Court has also taken up a petition filed by relatives of 26 Indians who travelled to Russia during 2024-25 on tourist or student visas but were allegedly induced or lured by recruitment agents into joining the Russian military.
More than 30 Indians have reportedly died while serving with Russian forces on the frontlines of the Ukraine conflict.
For the families of the three missing men, the immediate priority remains finding out where they are and bringing them safely back home.
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