Indian in Russia army captured

NEW DELHI: Ukrainian media reported Tuesday that a 22-year-old Indian national who was fighting for the Russian army had been captured by Ukrainian forces. Indian authorities did not confirm the detention but said they were working to verify reports that identified the man as Majoti Sahil Mohammed, apparently a resident of Morbi in Gujarat.Government sources said that the Indian mission in Kyiv had not received any formal communication on this issue from Ukraine.According to one of the reports from Kyiv, Mohammed had gone to Russia to study but was forced to join the Russian armed forces after a drug conviction. It quoted him as saying he did not want to fight and had surrendered before Ukrainian forces.Confirming last month that there were 27 Indian nationals still serving in the Russian army, the Indian foreign ministry had urged Indian nationals to stay away from the offers being made to serve in the Russian army as they were fraught with danger and risk to life. Majoti appeared on a video recorded by Ukraine’s 63rd Mechanised Brigade, saying that he was sentenced to seven years in a Russian prison on drug-related charges. He was offered the opportunity to sign a contract with the Russian military to avoid further punishment, said the Kyiv Independent.Ukrainian authorities quoted him as saying he did not want to fight, needed help and also didn’t want to go back to Russia as “there is no truth there”. He was also reported to have said he wanted to live in Ukraine or return to India.“According to Mohamed, he had been promised that a year of service would earn him freedom and payment ranging from RUB 100,000 to 1.5 million (about $1,200-18,000), but he never received any money,” said a report by Ukrainska Pravda.