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‘Sent to Ukraine war zone’: Uttarakhand youth on study visa forced into Russian Army, family pleads for rescue

In recent months, at least 20 Indian nationals, many from Punjab and Haryana, have come forward with similar claims.

September 23, 2025 / 07:31 IST
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A 30-year-old man, Rakesh Kumar, from Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand had travelled to Russia just last month for higher studies, but within weeks, he was allegedly forced to join the Russian army and sent to fight in Ukraine, The Times of India reported.

According to his family, they have had no direct contact with him since early September and are now pleading for government help to bring him back.

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Rakesh, a resident of Kushmoth village in Shaktifarm under Sitarganj tehsil, left for Russia on August 7 after securing admission to St Petersburg University on a study visa.

At first, his family believed everything was going well, but soon after his arrival, Rakesh began hinting that he was facing unexpected difficulties. His elder brother, Deepu Maurya, said the last proper conversation they had was on August 30.