'Please save him': Wife of Hyderabad man duped by agent for job in Russia to fight war seeks Centre's help
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Please save him': Wife of Hyderabad man duped by agent for job in Russia to fight war seeks Centre's help")
Mohammed Ahmed has been trapped in the middle of the Russia-Ukraine war. Photograph: (X)
Mohammed Ahmed's wife stated that a Mumbai-based consultancy firm had offered her husband employment with a construction company in Russia. According to her, Ahmed travelled to Russia in April 2025 under this agreement.
A man from Telangana, Hyderabad, who travelled to Russia in April for employment in the construction sector, has been trapped in the middle of the Russia-Ukraine war after he was defrauded by his job agent. The victim, identified as Mohammed Ahmed, was reportedly forced to fight on the frontlines of the war.
After he was trapped, his wife, Afsha Begum, appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs to help rescue 37-year-old Ahmed, claiming he had been held in Russia and forced into combat training, according to a report in NDTV.
In a letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Afsha stated that a Mumbai-based consultancy firm had offered her husband employment with a construction company in Russia. According to her, Ahmed travelled to Russia in April 2025 under this agreement.
She further alleged that her husband was left idle for almost a month before being moved, along with 30 others, to a remote location where they were allegedly forced to undergo weapons training.
"After training, 26 persons were taken to the border area to fight the Ukrainian Army. While being taken to the border area, Ahmed jumped from the army vehicle, due to which he suffered a fracture in his right leg. He refused to fight. But he is being threatened to either fight against the Ukrainian Army or get killed," she said.
Afsha Begum requested that the government arrange the quick repatriation of her husband. She added that he is the sole breadwinner of the family, which includes his paralysed mother, herself and their two children, aged 10 and four.
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Viral video of Mohammed Ahmed
A selfie video recorded by Ahmed, reportedly in Russia, stated that a total of 17 have been killed till now out of 25 men who trained with him, including an Indian. "The place where I am is a border, and war is going on. We four Indians refused to go (into the warzone). They threatened us to fight and pointed a weapon at me and another person... They placed a gun to my neck and said that they would shoot me and stage it as if I was killed by a drone," he said.
"I have a plaster on my leg and am unable to walk. Please do not spare the agent who sent me here (Russia). He got me entangled in all this. He made me sit here for 25 days without work. I kept asking for work, but in vain. I was forcefully dragged into this in the guise of employment in Russia," Ahmed added.
What is the stance of the Indian government?
In response to the video, the counsellor at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, Tadu Mamu, stated that the embassy had forwarded Ahmed’s details to Russian authorities and requested his early release from the Russian Army, along with safe repatriation to India. "The Embassy has been following up on all cases of Indian nationals in the Russian Army on priority," the official said.
The official added that Ahmed’s family would be kept updated on any progress. Last month, India had also urged Russia to discharge 27 more Indian citizens recently recruited into its military.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that New Delhi has received fresh reports from families indicating that more Indians are serving in the Russian forces. "As per our information, 27 Indian nationals are presently serving in the Russian army. We are also in close touch with their family members in the matter," he said on September 26.
