Sun Nov 24 16:11:00 UTC 2024: ## Families of Missing Indian Soldiers Plead for Help After Russia Deployment

**New Delhi, November 24, 2024** – The families of at least 15 Indian men, who were allegedly tricked into joining the Russian army and sent to fight in the Ukraine conflict, are desperately seeking answers from the Indian government. Months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue with President Vladimir Putin, these men remain missing.

Two families, from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, have traveled to Delhi to appeal directly to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Russian Embassy. Mohammad Amin Sheikh’s son, Zahoor, a 27-year-old Masters student, was last heard from on December 31, 2023. He had responded to a YouTube advertisement for a security job in Russia but was instead forcibly conscripted. Similarly, Jagdeep Kumar’s brother, Mandeep, 30, disappeared in March after being lured to Russia under false pretenses.

Both families claim that despite repeated attempts to contact the Indian Embassy in Moscow, they have received little assistance. MEA officials, according to the families, acknowledge that at least 15, and possibly as many as 25, Indian citizens remain unaccounted for. While the Russian government is reportedly cooperating at a high level, the families say there’s a lack of responsiveness from on-the-ground commanders.

This comes after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s August 9th Lok Sabha statement revealing that 91 Indians had been recruited into the Russian army over nine months, with eight confirmed deaths and 69 awaiting release. The ongoing plight of these missing soldiers highlights the urgent need for stronger action from both the Indian and Russian governments to ensure the safe return of these individuals.

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