A Moga villager among those trapped in Russia, forced to fight against Ukraine, family seeks govt help

BATHINDA: A youth from Moga village figures in a group of youths having gone to Russia in search of green pastures but ended up recruited in the Russian Army and forced to take part in battle against Ukraine.

25 years old Buta Singh belonging to Chak Kania village in Moga district of Punjab is among those who are seeking help from the government of India for their safe return. Buta Singh had gone to Russia through an agent from Delhi nearly 11 months ago. The family got to know about him recruited in the Russian Army from videos going viral in social media. Belonging to Chak Kanian village in Moga, Buta had gone to Russia after his family paid Rs 3.5 lakh to a travel agent, with whom he had made contact through you tube.

As he wanted to find a suitable job but landed up recruited in the Russian Army to fight the ongoing battle with Ukraine, says his family. Buta Singh’ sister Karamjit Kaur speaking to TOI said that her brother had gone to Russia on October 24 last year via an agent. It was only recently that we got to know that he had been recruited in the Russian Army along with many others and forcibly taken to the battlefield. In the purported video, Buta is seen with four other men who introduce themselves as natives of Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir.

One of them is heard saying we had come to Moscow, where they were told about some vacancies. Their documents were taken away and were lured with good salaries. But they were recruited in the army and were sent to an army training centre, guns were handed over to them and taken to the Ukraine border. The family members of Buta Singh said they had last received any communication in a voice message on whatsapp from Buta on September 11.

There has been no contact with him after that. He had gone to Russia only to improve family’s financial condition, who had sold a part of the land which was vulnerable to floods. The family was not getting much from the land because it was flood prone and even after selling a part of that land the family got another more dreaded pain.

Before moving to Russia, Buta worked for a private firm in Singapore for nearly four years.

The family wants him back home safe. Buta’s father Ram Singh is a daily wager, while mother Paramjit Kaur tends livestock to run the family. Mother Paramjit has written a letter to the union defence minister mentioning that her son Buta Singh had gone to Russia around a year back. Now they have come to know that Russian government has forcibly recruited him into its army and forced to fight against Ukraine. He is currently living under fear of death.

They have come to know that some youths like him have already died. In a recent statement, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has stated many Indians were likely misled by agents with false promises of construction jobs, to be deployed on the battlefield. The ministry has raised the issue with Russian authorities in Delhi and Moscow.