A harrowing story has emerged from the Russia-Ukraine conflict but this time involving a Hyderabad man who says he was tricked into joining the Russian Army after being lured with a fake job offer.
Mohammed Ahmed, a 37-year-old from Hyderabad, travelled to Russia in April in search of work but now finds himself trapped in a warzone, allegedly forced to fight for Russia. His wife, Afsha Begum, has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, appealing for urgent intervention to bring him back.
According to her letter, Ahmed was promised a construction job by a Mumbai-based consultancy. But once in Russia, he was left without work for nearly a month before being forcibly taken to a remote training camp. “He and others were given weapons and told to fight. When he tried to refuse, he was beaten and threatened with death,” she said.
“They Put a Gun to My Neck,” says Ahmed in Video
A self-recorded video, purportedly shot by Ahmed in Russia and shared by his family, captures his ordeal. In the clip, he claims that out of 25 men who were trained with him, 17 have been killed, including one Indian.
“The place where I am is a border, and war is going on. We four Indians refused to go. They threatened us with guns,” Ahmed says in the video. He also adds that he broke his leg while trying to escape and is now unable to walk.
Ahmed’s family says he is the sole breadwinner, supporting his paralysed mother, wife and two young children. “He was dragged into a war he had nothing to do with,” his wife said, urging swift action from the Indian authorities.
Owaisi and MEA Step In
Following a request from Ahmed’s family, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Moscow, seeking his immediate rescue.
In response, Tadu Mamu, Counsellor at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, confirmed that the embassy has shared Ahmed’s details with Russian authorities and requested his release. “The Embassy has been following up on all cases of Indian nationals in the Russian Army on priority,” Mamu said.
This comes a month after India had asked Russia to release 27 Indian nationals who were allegedly recruited by the Russian military under similar circumstances. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said new reports continue to emerge from families about Indians trapped in the conflict.
As Ahmed’s fate hangs in the balance, his video which is a chilling testimony from a man caught in a war he never signed up for — has sparked renewed calls for accountability from both Indian recruiters and foreign intermediaries.
