SRINAGAR: In a distressing turn of events, the families of two men from Jammu and Kashmir have appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs for assistance after their loved ones were ensnared as mercenaries in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The two young men were identified as Aazad Yousuf Kumar, a resident of Poshwan in the Awantipora and Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh from Hajinar Tangdar in Kupwara.
This is the second time that the Russia-Ukrine conflict made news in Jammu and Kashmir. When the invasion started, the main focus remained on how to evacuate students from India, including Jammu and Kashmir, who were enrolled with various medical schools in the Ukraine. Post-evaluation, their career is still in the doldrums. Now, the issue is how to rescue the unemployed youth who were driven by jobs into the conflict and landed as mercenaries.
Aazad Yousuf Kumar, hailing from Poshwan in the Awantipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, embarked on what he believed to be a job opportunity in Dubai in December 2023. Little did he know, along with several others, he was deceived by a Dubai-based consultancy and coerced into fighting for the Russian army on the frontlines in Ukraine.
According to Kumar’s family, he was promised a ‘helper’ job in Dubai but was later informed that he would be joining the Russian army. Despite his visa indicating tourism as the purpose of his visit to Russia, Kumar found himself thrust into military training and subsequently deployed to the volatile Ukrainian border.
“He went to Mumbai first and then to Dubai,” Aazad’s father, Mohammad Yousuf Kumar told reporters. “He later informed us that he would be travelling to another location and his phone wouldn’t be available for some days. After a few days, he called us and informed us they had been pushed to join the Russian army.”
Tragically, Kumar, an erstwhile bore well digger, sustained injuries during his training. He shot at his own leg. Once he was treated in hospital, and redeployed, he found the dozen-odd people who had accompanied him pushed to the frontiers. Communicating sporadically via social media, Kumar expressed his desire to return to his family, highlighting the coercion and deception that led to his current predicament. He is unable to understand any language and does not know where he is exactly posted.
Similarly, Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh from Hajinar Tangdar in Kupwara has gone missing in Russia under suspicious circumstances. Employed in Chandigarh, Zahoor, along with two companions, purportedly travelled to Russia for employment but found himself entangled in the conflict instead.
In early December 2023, Zahoor was located in the Odintsovsky district of Russia, where he shared a photo on his social media account dressed in military attire. He had voluntarily gone to Russia with two companions: Arbaab from Uttar Pradesh and Asfaan from Hyderabad.
The families of both men have reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs, urging swift action to ensure the safe return of their loved ones.
These distressing incidents shed light on the plight of individuals who fall victim to fraudulent recruitment schemes, promising employment opportunities but leading them into dangerous and unforeseen circumstances.
The Ministry of External Affairs has acknowledged the situation, urging Indian nationals to exercise caution and stay away from the conflict. Efforts are underway to secure the release of Indian nationals caught in such precarious situations, including those from Karnataka and Telangana who have also been reportedly ensnared in the conflict.
Resident in Awantipore said it was a YouTube channel, run by Baba Vlogs that advertised job opportunities as “helpers in Russia” to which he applied and got “hired”. The channel is being run by Faisal Khan who is based in Dubai.
