Four Indian Men Say They Were Forced Into Russian Military Training After Taking a Civilian Job

NDTV reported on September 30, 2026 that four men from Telangana, a state in India, are being held at a Russian military camp after travelling to Russia roughly six months earlier for what they were told was civilian work. Their families identified them as Bhukya Ravinder, Bhukya Ashok, and Megavath Prakash, from the former Nizamabad district, and Mohammed Afzal Khan, 44, of Kamareddy, and said they paid agents around Rs 3 lakh each to arrange the jobs. According to the families, the men accepted a civilian job offer at a Russian military facility, but were instead taken to a forested area, given weapons, and put through military training. Four months in, their passports were changed and they were taken to the Ukraine border and forced into military service, Khan's family told NDTV.

According to NDTV, Mohammed Afzal Khan described being confined in a forest in his video message:

"We are facing a lot of trouble here. They initially made us do different work, and now, after coming here, they are telling us to do entirely different work. There is a huge problem. They have tied up two or three people."

Khan said the men were tied to trees when they tried to leave, and asked relatives to inform Prakash's brothers of the situation and the costs involved in bringing the men home. His wife said he texts her only once every eight to ten days, with no other contact. In a separate video, Khan's son said: "Seven months ago, my father went to Russia and hasn't returned since. My mother is a person with disability, and I have a younger sister. We are in trouble."

The families have approached Telangana's Pravasi Prajavani wing for NRI affairs, asking it to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Moscow to locate the men and bring them home.

The Pattern Continues

The case surfaces three weeks after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Indian journalists that Russia would compile a list of Indian citizens serving on the battlefield and send them home once identified - a pledge we've reported has repeatedly trailed the actual pace of recruitment, with India's own count already at 227 known recruits by December 2025 and 51 confirmed dead.

Get Out Safely

Indians and other foreign nationals who have been forced or deceived into Russia's armed forces have a safe option to leave through Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. Also see our FAQ on how to safely surrender to Ukrainian forces.