A 23-year-old native of Gujarat was reportedly killed in a Ukrainian air strike in the Donetsk region on the Russia-Ukraine border on February 21. He is one of several Indians who were misled into joining the Russian army amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine border on the pretext of employment as ‘army helpers’.
The deceased, Hemil Ashvinbhai Mangukiya, a resident of Surat was hired as a security helper and had been in Russia since December 2023.
Earlier this month, an agent had written to the Indian consulate on behalf of Mangukiya’s father to bring back his son, the Hindu reported.
However, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) officials said there is no information regarding the death of Hemil Ashvinbhai Mangukiya or the incident.
Hit by an airstrike, witness narrates
Recalling the incident, Sameer Ahmad, another Indian youth stranded in Russia, said that Mangukiya was struck by missiles during an attack.
“We saw a drone hovering over us. I was digging a trench and Hemil was practicing how to fire around 150 metres away. Suddenly we heard some noise. I and two other Indians, along with other Russian soldiers, hid in the trench. The missiles struck and the earth shook. After some time when we got out, I found Hemil dead. I was the one who put his body in the truck,” he was quoted by The Hindu.
Sameer Ahmad is a resident of Karnataka’s Gulbarga.
“We came together from India. Hemil died in front of me. We fear that they may send us to the border and we will also be left to die. When we ask the Russian commander to relieve us, he said we have signed a contract. The commander said we will get Hemil’s body after two months. Please save us,” Ahmad pleaded.
Since November 2023, several Indians have been stranded in different areas along the Russia-Ukraine border, including Mariupol, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Rostov-on-Don. The stranded youth hail from Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
Asaduddin Owaisi appeals for help
Meanwhile, AIMIM president Asadiddin Owaisi wrote on X about the incident and appealed to the Indian Government and Union minister for external affairs Dr Jaishankar to bring back the remaining stranded Indians who are fighting for their lives.
“Indian ‘helper’ dies in Russian war zone – The Hindu Mr. Ahmad said that the Indian Embassy was not responding to their repeated pleas for help. “We came together from India. Hemil died in front of me.@DrSJaishankar kindly bring back these poor ppl,” he wrote.
Promised salary of Rs 45k/month
Siasat.com reached out to Mohammed Adnan, the brother of one of the stranded youths to understand how did the Hyderabadi youth end up fighting Russia’s war.
According to Adnan, a YouTuber acting as an agent deceived his brother with a promise of a job in Russia. Several agents convinced the youths that there was a good job opportunity for them. After sending a second group of recruits to Russia in December, the agents have reportedly disappeared.
The youths were enticed with assurances of government jobs in medical camps or security positions, with a promised salary of Rs 45,000 per month during the probation period. They were also told the salary would be increased later.
“Upon reaching Russia, they were given arms under the guise of protection. After a few days, they were forced into weapon training and sent to the Ukraine battlegrounds,” Adnan said.
He said he has not been able to contact his brother since they were sent to Ukraine due to the non-availability of mobile networks in the war zone.
On February 24, 2022, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, triggering the most deadly conflict in Europe. Two years on, the war still exists resulting in millions of deaths on both sides and the displacement of several Ukrainians.
According to an article by The Indian Express, an acute shortage of equipment and man power has been reported from the Ukrainian side who have valiantly defended their territory against the powerful Russian forces.
Russia’s economy has been surprisingly booming despite the Western sanction imposed on it soon after the war broke out. This is something the West and European countries did not expect.
