'He went to work, was deceived into joining army': Grieving father awaits son's body from Russia

Chandigarh: Rakesh Kumar, who sent off his young son to Russia with hopes and dreams, now awaits his return, but in a casket.

25-year-old Anshu, who headed to Russia from a village in Haryana's Rewari on a study visa, lost his life in the Russia-Ukraine conflict after allegedly being 'deceived' into joining the army. Anshu's case is not isolated, as the bodies of three more youths from Haryana who faced the same fate have recently been returned to India.

Anshu left for Russia on April 20, 2025, with a study visa but was enlisted into the Russian Army after being initially sent for military training, according to his father, Rakesh Kumar, who works with the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking and is currently posted in Chandigarh.

Rakesh shared that the family had spent nearly Rs 6 lakh to send Anshu to Russia for his studies. He alleged that Anshu and many other youths from Haryana, who had gone with hopes of improving their families' financial situations, were promised lucrative jobs by local agents in Russia. However, they later discovered they were "deceitfully" pushed into the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"I received a call from a former soldier who served in the Russian Army on April 4, informing me that my son had died. He said the body is yet to reach Moscow from the front, and once it does, it will take an additional 10-15 days to return to India," Rakesh recounted, adding that Anshu had gone to Russia through a travel agent based in Sonipat.

In November, the family lost all contact with him, and they recently learned of his death.

Rakesh, along with other parents from Haryana whose children have been trapped in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in a similar manner, staged a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in November and December last year.

Additionally, Jai Bhagwan, a social worker from Rohtak, is providing support and assistance to families affected by this tragedy, Rakesh shared. Jai Bhagwan, who leads an organisation called Gram Vikas Samiti, noted that protests were held on November 3 and December 1 at Jantar Mantar, where families of Indian youths allegedly forced into the Russian Army demanded the safe return of their sons.

He emphasised that not only youths from Haryana but also those from Punjab and other regions have been drawn into the conflict in a similar manner.

In recent weeks, the bodies of three other youths from Haryana, who hailed from villages in Karnal, Fatehabad, and Sonipat, have been brought back from Russia.

Anuj Sharma (23), a resident of Chaura village in Karnal district, also travelled to Russia last year. His brother, Arjun Sharma, said on Wednesday, "My brother went to Russia on May 21, 2025, with a study visa for a language course, arranged through a travel agent in Karnal."

"In Russia, some local agents promised him and other youths lucrative jobs. However, they were later told they would only need to dig bunkers for pay. We later discovered that he had been coerced into the Russian Army and forced to fight on the front lines. We lost contact with Anuj on October 13, 2025, and on October 20, we learned he had suffered bullet wounds. His body was brought back on March 26, and we held the cremation in our village," he said.

Earlier this month, the body of Ankit Jangra (24), from Kumhariya village in Fatehabad district, who was also trapped in the Russia-Ukraine war, was returned to India.

In September 2025, Raghuvir, Ankit's brother, told reporters that Ankit had shared details about their situation during a video call. Ankit had gone to Moscow on a student visa for a Russian-language course six months prior and mentioned there were several other Indians in similar circumstances.

A woman in Moscow had allegedly misled them into believing they would receive security jobs after undergoing three months of training, for which they would be paid Rs 2.5 lakh per month. They were subsequently made to sign contracts written in Russian. Ankit told Raghuvir that they were given army uniforms and were trained for a few days before being sent to the forests of Ukraine, according to Ankit.

In April 2026, the body of Ankit (30), a resident of Ibrahim Pur Kurad village in Haryana's Sonipat district, was brought back after he was killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He was the sole breadwinner for his family and had moved to Russia nearly a year ago on a study visa.