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Russia's war in Ukraine, which is approaching its grim third anniversary, has an unexpected connection with two districts in Uttar Pradesh.
Last year, nearly a dozen young men from Azamgarh and Mau districts travelled thousands of kilometres away from home in hopes of a good life for themselves and their families. While three of the 13 men who left for Russia died on the battlefield, two returned home after being injured in the war. Of the remaining eight, there is no news on their whereabouts so far.
They were offered jobs as security guards, helpers and cooks in Russia, promised Rs 2 lakh per month but were forcibly sent to the battlefield instead.
Kanhaiya Yadav of Azamgarh and Shyamsundar and Sunil Yadav of Mau have lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine war. Rakesh Yadav of Azamgarh and Brijesh Yadav of Mau got injured in the war and are home now. Meanwhile, the family members of eight men - Vinod Yadav, Yogendra Yadav, Arvind Yadav, Ramchandra, Azharuddin Khan, Humeshwar Prasad, Deepak and Dhirendra Kumar - are still waiting to hear some news on them.
'They Trapped My Brother'
In Azamgarh district's Khojapur village, Yogendra Yadav's mother, wife and children are beside themselves with grief.
"Vinod Yadav, an agent in Mau, trapped my brother. He told him the job was for the security guard position but he was sent to the Russian border instead," said Ashish Yadav, the younger brother of Yogendra Yadav.
He said that his brother left home on January 15, 2024, with three agents - Vinod, Sumit and Dushyant. "After reaching Russia, he was forcibly trained and recruited into the army," Mr Yadav said.
"We spoke to him last in May 2024. He had told us over the phone that he got injured in the war on May 9, 2024. Since then we haven't heard from them," he said appealing to the Indian government to intervene in the matter so that his brother could be found.
When asked about her son, Azharuddin Khan's mother Nasreen, who lives in Azamgarh's Gulami Ka Pura area, breaks down into tears and recalls an agent's bait of a high-salary job that took his son away from her. "I haven't spoken to him for the last ten months".
"He left with agent Vinod on January 26, 2024. He had offered Azharuddin a job as a security guard. He said he will get Rs 2 lakh per month," she said.
Azharuddin Khan - the primary earner in his family - was in regular touch with his family after he left. He told them he was being trained and sent to the battlefield.
On April 1, his father suffered a heart attack when he got to know that he had joined the Russian Army. Seven days later, on April 8, he died.
"My last conversation with my son was on April 27. He said to me, 'Amma, I will work here for six months and I will return home after that. I haven't heard from home since then," said a distraught Nasreen.
Waiting For News On 'Missing' Son
The Father of Humeshwar Prasad, a resident of Sathiyaon town, also has a similar story. Agent Vinod Yadav took his son away, promising a security guard job.
"They made him sign an agreement then he was recruited by the (Russian) army. He was given a 15-day training," said Indu Prakash.
"Everyone is worried at home," said Indu Prakash who last spoke with his son in March, last year," he said, tearing up.
When he contacted the Indian embassy, he was told his son was "missing".
Pawan, a resident of Harraiya, last spoke to his brother Deepak - who left for Russia early last year - on July 6, 2024.
All these families are demanding two things from the government - the return of the Indians stuck in Russia and action against agents who forced their loved ones onto the battlefield.
Kanhaiya Yadav - from Raunapur village of Azamgarh district - had gone to Russia for the job of a cook. But, he was recruited into the Russian Army and died on December 6, 2024, after being badly injured.
"I last spoke to my father on May 25, 2024. He told me he was badly injured in the war and was undergoing treatment. I didn't speak to him after that," said Kanhaiya Yadav's son, Ajay.
Months later, in December, the embassy informed him that his father had died.
Rakesh Yadav got injured in the war. But, he was among the very few Indians who could return home. "I went to Russia in January 2024. The agent told me about the job of a security guard and a monthly salary of Rs two lakh".
"When we reached Russia, we were made to sign an agreement paper, which was in Russian language. When we asked about the content of the document, we were told it describes the job that we would do in Russia," recalled Mr Yadav.
He reached Russia with Vinod Yadav, who is also currently stuck in Russia due to the war.
Soon after, he was given war training on how to fire rockets, throw bombs and use other weapons.
"When we protested, we were told that we were being given self-defence training," he said.
Twelve Indian nations have been killed while serving with the Russian military and another 16 listed by the country are missing, the Indian foreign ministry said on Friday.
"Out of the 126 known cases of Indian nationals serving in the Russian armed forces, 96 individuals have already returned. They have been discharged from the Russian armed forces. Of the remaining 18 Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces, the whereabouts of 16 individuals are currently not known," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Russia has categorised the 16 Indians as "missing".
In August last year, the Russian embassy said that the country's ministry of defence stopped recruiting citizens from a number of foreign countries, including India, into the military service.
-With inputs from Ravi Singh.