Indian tourists were forced to the front

They really wanted to celebrate the New Year, and then they were sent to the Ukrainian war under false pretenses.

A group of Indians are said to be operating in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine to further Vladimir Putin's imperial ambitions. And against her will.

This week, the Indian government and several Indian television channels received several calls for help. A man reported the fate of six of his patients aged between 19 and 23 years.

According to broadcaster “NDTV”, he explained in a call for help that he entered Russia on a tourist visa at the end of December. His plan: he first wanted to go on vacation in Moscow, and then celebrate the Orthodox New Year on January 14.

But it didn't get that far.

During his vacation in Russia, the Indian met six more young men. The group found a Russian tour guide who offered a trip to neighboring Belarus.

Belarus, led as a dictator by Alexander Lukashenko, is considered a close ally of Vladimir Putin. The country is cooperating with Russia in the war in Ukraine. During the attack on February 24, 2022, Russian soldiers crossed the border with Ukraine from Belarus.

Shortly after the Indian tour group crossed the border, the tour guide dropped them off on a highway. A few hours later, “Russian police officers” reportedly arrested seven Indians. Allegation: Tourists entered the country without valid visas.

According to the Indians, the young men were imprisoned for three days – they were without food. The Russians gave the seven Indians a fate: either they would go to prison for ten years or they would join a war in the Ukraine.

“The documents were in Russian. But they told us that we would be cooks or drivers,” an Indian told “NDTV”.

But nothing happened: the next day they were taken to a Russian military training center. There they spent two weeks learning how to use guns and grenades.

Another Indian said on television: “Then they brought us here. We are in Ukraine, but in the occupied territories.”

All seven say they fear for their lives. They were housed “in a place with 100 Iranians”. One of the Indians reports: “One day they had to go ahead and only three of them came back.”

He worries that the same fate may befall him.

With this urgent call, Indians hope that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs will intervene and rescue them.

It is well known that Russia is recruiting fighters from abroad for the war in Ukraine. Especially from India and Nepal.

Recruits are assured that they will not be stopped. But the reality is different: many Indian mercenaries report fighting on the front lines in eastern Ukraine.

Since the war of aggression against Ukraine began two years ago, Russia has lost an estimated 65,000 to 90,000 soldiers.