The body of a Hyderabadi soldier killed while serving Russia in battle returns home

On Sunday, the corpse of a resident of Hyderabad who was reportedly coerced into enlisting in the Russian Army and lost his life in the conflict in Ukraine arrived at his Bazarghat home.

Mohammed Asfan, 30, is said to have been coerced into enlisting in the Russian Army after falling victim to an employment scam.

On March 6, the Indian Embassy in Moscow announced his death. Asfan leaves behind his spouse and two kids.

The Indian Embassy in Moscow responded to his passing with a post on X that said, “We have learned about the tragic death of an Indian national, Shri Mohammed Asfan.” Both the family and the Russian authorities are in contact with us. Mission would try to transport his lifeless remains to India,” the statement said.

Asfan and other individuals were purportedly duped by dishonest operatives who enlisted them as “assistants” to aid the Russian Army during the conflict.

Prior to this, Gujarati man Hamil Mangukiya, 23, who was serving as a “assistant” for the Russian Army in the conflict in Ukraine, had also passed away.

Mangukiya had traveled from Chennai to Moscow after submitting an online application for a job in Russia. However, he was later enlisted in the Russian Army as an aide, and on February 21, he was murdered in an attack by Ukraine in the Donetsk area, which is close to the border between Russia and Ukraine.

According to media reports, some Indians are being compelled to engage in combat with Ukrainian troops in border regions after being tricked into joining the Russian military as security assistants.