Four Indian men from Telangana have claimed to have been stranded in Russia after being forced into Russian military service on the promise of civilian jobs. Their families have sought intervention from the Telangana government to ensure their safe return.
The men have been identified as Bhookya Ravinder (44) of Nallagutta Thanda in Munipally, Jakranpally; Sirshu Ashok (44) of Oddera Colony in Sirikonda; Megavath Prakash (40) of Cheruvu Thanda in Dammannapet village of Dharpally; and Mohammed Afzal Khan (43) of Tadkole in Banswada of Kamareddy district.
On Tuesday (September 29, 2026), the families of the four men presented their grievance at Pravasi Prajavani, a grievance-redressal initiative of the Telangana government, in Hyderabad. CM Pravasi Prajavani in charge, Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, and nodal officer K Vidyasagar spoke to the families. The officials directed the NRI wing to coordinate with the MEA and the Indian embassy in Moscow.
According to the families of the four men, they were promised civilian jobs in Russia, but after reaching there, they were forced to join the Russian military service. Two of the men have reportedly been posted at the Russian frontline. The families submitted relevant documents to the government officials, including a recruitment advertisement to which the men had responded.
The advertisement offered general and mechanical helper jobs in Russia through ‘Pondera Co’ for $477 a month (described in the advertisement at approximately ₹42,000), along with free food. It did not require a Russian language test, but the applicants needed to be eligible for ECR (Emigration Check Required) passport holders. The advertisement promised 10-hour work shifts and 28 mandatory working days a month, along with an offer letter within a week and a visa within 30 to 45 days after medical examinations.
The families said that the men were promised jobs in the oil industry. However, after arriving in Russia, their phones were confiscated were forced to leave the jobs as they were not given their salaries. They were forced to look for other jobs, which led to them being sent to a Russian military camp.
The families named a Russia-based agent, Thelu Krishna, from Domakonda mandal in Kamareddy district, who promised the men jobs. According to the families, Krishna told the men that they would be employed in military support services and would not be engaged in combat. However, the men were later trained to handle weapons and sent to the frontline in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.
The men recently narrated the conditions they were forced to work in to their families. They said that they were posted in forest areas, forced to trek 15-20 kilometers daily carrying heavy equipment and weapons. They were also being subjected to training for handling firearms and explosives.
Many Indians stuck at the Russian frontline
The Indian government last month revealed that around two dozen Indians are still serving in the Russian Army. The government said that efforts are being made to secure their return. The Indian government asked Russia to release all Indian nationals serving as support staff, such as cooks and helpers, with Russian military units.
According to External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian government has been able to secure the release of 139 Indian nationals so far. He cautioned Indian nationals against accepting job offers involving risks.
Besides, the Supreme Court directed the government to appoint a nodal officer in the external affairs ministry to coordinate with the families of citizens who died, went missing, or suffered injuries while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war. The direction was passed on a petition relating to Indian nationals who were forced to work in the Russian military after being defrauded by travel agents.
