6 Indians Duped into Joining PMC Wagner, Fight War in Ukraine after Promised Jobs in Russia

At least six Indian men were duped by foreign recruiters into joining Kremlin-linked deliest mercenaries group PMC Wagner and were coerced to fight in ongoing war in Ukraine.

Indians were promised jobs as security helpers in Moscow last year in December, but y ended up as members of armed private paramilitary company Wagner, whose fighters waged bloodiest battles in heavily battered town of Bakhmut in eastern Donbass region.

kins of Indians say that men are “stranded” in Russia and are being forced to fight war after becoming victims of a “fake” recruitment racket. y met recruitment agents during a visit to Dubai, last year and were offered substantial monthly wage over Rs 2 lakh. men also entrusted a security deposit of Rs 3.5 lakh to recruiter. After returning to India in November, y left for Russia a month later on a visitor’s visa. re, six Indian men were coerced into military service and ended up fighting in Ukraine conflict. 

Indian men were promised hefty pay and lucrative jobs in Russia as part of racket’s deceptive scheme. Some sources say that y were recruited by a Maharashtra man who runs a popular YouTube channel and offers security personnel and helper jobs in Russian Federation.

‘Please, save us’: Indian men from an unknown location

Indian men, cl in Army fatigue, shared a distressing footage for family members appealing for help. footage was obtained by Republic TV but has not been shared to keep identity of six Indian men confidential. In nearly 2-minute long video, one of men details, “I came to Russia for a job through an agent," and n names recruiter as ‘Baba' who runs ‘Baba Vlogs’ on Youtube, ding that y were all duped and have ended up in Russian mercenaries group.

man in Army uniform continues that y were promised a ‘security and helper’ employment but have been enlisted to fight in Russia-Ukraine war inste. “y say, we will not send you on border,” man in video says, referring to PMC Wagner. “We do not know where will y [Wagner group] take us from here, neir are we aware about where we are currently, but it's all forests," man says.

“Please save us, we are victims of high tech fraud,” 22-year-old Indian man said from an unknown location, detailing how he was promised employment as security aide but ended up on war's frontline, becoming a victim of recruitment deception.

families of men were devastated to learn that y ended up on war’s front in contentious eastern Donbass region. y were deployed approximately 40kms from Ukrainian border in an unknown location, and managed to send an SOS from phone of a Russian soldier.

Three of six men are residents of Kalaburgi, Karnataka, while anor man aged 22 hails from state of Telangana. One Indian is a resident of Kashmir while or hails from Gujarat. four Indian men seen in footage have been toger as y are acquaintances, or two, according to 22-year-old seen in video, are posted to an unknown location. “We do not know where or two were taken,” he said.

PMC Wagner, whose founder Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a mysterious plane crash after declaring mutiny against Russian defense Ministry, is now heed by his son Pavel Prigozhin. mercenaries group resumed recruitment in November 2023 under directive of Pavel.

hiring drive started in cities of Perm and Novosibirsk and eligibility criteria on an vert re that mercenaries group need " desperate and brave, best of best.” Sources at Wagner's Novosibirsk office confirmed that group was looking “to recruit civilians who do not hold a criminal record,” as PMC previously heavily recruited men from prisons.

PMC Wagner has been acting as arm of Russian National Guards, known as Rosgvardia, since death of Prigozhin. recruitments resumed after being halted for months following Wagner fighters’ failed march on Moscow in June last year. PMC’s military base was later dismantled in south of Russia by defense ministry.