Six Indian men fighting for Russia set to return home

A father who has never met his newborn son is among six Indian nationals set to be released from serving in the Russian army, nervously awaiting their clearance to fly home after being sent back from the front line of Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.

- SHWETA SHARMA

The families of the men confirmed to The Independent that they have been released from duty and are now waiting for the completion of their paperwork in Moscow before they can board flights back to India, in a process that is being coordinated by the Indian government.

In total, almost 100 Indian men, some as young as 22, have ended up on the front lines in Ukraine. The Independent previously reported how many feel they were tricked into serving with the Russian military after being promised safe, secure jobs in Russia and other countries.

The identities of the men being released from duty are Azad Yousuf Kumar, Mohammad Sufiyan, Sameer Ahmad, Abdul Nayeem, Kamal Singh and Syed Ilyas Hussain, The Independent has learnt.

Mr Kumar, who is from the Indian federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir, told The Independent that they are currently lodging in a hotel in Moscow and waiting for their final documents before they board their flight to Delhi. “We all are extremely happy. The nightmare that we have endured here will only end once we board the flight to India and land at the airport,” he said over the phone from Moscow.