Gujarat Student Who Joined Russian Army To Escape Jail Surrenders To Ukraine, Family Appeals For His Return
Deployed to Ukraine after minimal training, he surrendered to Ukrainian forces, claiming he never wanted to fight. His family seeks Indian government intervention for his repatriation, while police investigate his case.
A 22-year-old student from Gujarat, who joined the Russian military to avoid imprisonment in a drug-related case, has surrendered to Ukrainian forces after being deployed on the frontline.
The man, identified as Majoti Sahil Mohammed Hussein from Morbi town, had travelled to Russia several years ago for higher studies. According to police, Hussein enlisted in the Russian Army not with the intention of fighting but in hopes of escaping once he reached the Ukraine border, according to a PTI report.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s 63rd Mechanised Brigade released a video showing Hussein in custody. In the clip, he recounted how he was jailed in Russia before being offered the option to sign a military contract. “I didn’t want to stay in prison, so I signed a contract… But I wanted to get out of there,” he said. Hussein revealed that after just 16 days of training, he was sent to the front, where he surrendered to Ukrainian soldiers following a dispute with his commander.
“I came across a Ukrainian trench position about two to three kilometres away. I immediately put down my rifle and said that I didn’t want to fight. I needed help. I don’t want to go back to Russia,” he added.
Family Appeals for Help
Back in Morbi, Hussein’s mother declined to speak to the media and locked the family home, leaving for an undisclosed location. His maternal uncle, Abdul Ibrahim Majoti, later addressed reporters and urged the Indian government to intervene.
“Sahil went abroad for higher studies. We don’t know what happened to him there,” Abdul said, adding that Hussein had been a bright student since childhood. “Our family is educated and well settled, with some members in government service. I appeal to the Centre to bring back Sahil and other Indians trapped in such situations.”
Police Probe Underway
Inspector General Ashok Kumar Yadav of Rajkot Range confirmed that Hussein was originally from Morbi and had gone to Russia for education. “We have learnt that he was sent to jail after being caught in a drug-related case there,” Yadav told PTI. He added that police are investigating details about Hussein’s passport, visa, and connections.
India’s Concern Over Citizens in Russian Army
The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet issued an official statement on Hussein’s surrender. However, sources said the Indian Embassy in Kyiv is verifying the video’s authenticity and has not received formal communication from Ukrainian authorities.
Last month, the ministry confirmed that 27 Indian nationals were serving with the Russian Army, and New Delhi had urged Moscow to release and repatriate them. Several reports have suggested that some Indians on student and business visas were coerced into joining Russian military units fighting in Ukraine.
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