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From Russian Jail to Ukrainian Captivity: Indian Man Says He Was Forced to Fight
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Ukrainian soldiers from the 63rd Mechanized Brigade have captured a 22-year-old Indian national who says he was forced to choose between a Russian prison sentence and a contract to fight in Ukraine, the brigade reported on October 7.
The man, identified as Majoti Sahil Mohamed from the city of Morbi in India, told his captors he signed up with the Russian army to avoid seven years behind bars.
According to an interview released by the 63rd Brigade, Majoti said he had originally traveled to Russia to study at a university.
“Then they put me in prison for drugs. They gave me seven years. I didn’t want to sit in prison,” he said.
Faced with that choice, he claims, he agreed to a deal that would allow him to serve one year in the Russian army in exchange for his freedom.
“They said, one-year contract—one year you serve, and then you go home,” he recalled.
Majoti said Russian recruiters promised high pay, but that he never received any money. After signing the contract, he was quickly sent to a training ground.
“Last month, in September, I was at the range. I was there for 16 days. They taught us how to hold a gun, how to shoot—and that’s all,” he said.
By September 30, he was deployed to the front line. The next day, he was ordered to assault Ukrainian positions—a mission that ended with his surrender.
During the attack, Majoti said his commander ordered him to dig a trench, but he refused, saying he was exhausted. “The commander said, ‘Take his radio and send him away,’” he recalled. Alone, he walked for several kilometers until he stumbled upon a Ukrainian position.
“I put down my rifle and said, I don’t want to fight, I need help,” he told Ukrainian soldiers.
Now in captivity, Majoti says he has no desire to return to Russia. “Back to Russia, I don’t want. There’s no truth there. Better I sit in prison here. Or better—send me home to India,” he said.
The 63rd Brigade emphasized that the Indian national surrendered voluntarily and was treated in accordance with international law.
“He studied in Russia, got caught with drugs, and chose war over prison,” the brigade’s statement read. “He swears he never intended to fight and surrendered at the first chance.”
Earlier, reports emerged that Russia launched a new wave of recruiting Indian nationals into its armed forces, often by deception and coercion.
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