Back from Russia, 40-year-old recounts ordeal in war zone

Sarabjit Singh of Amritsar, who claims he went to Russia in April 2024 for courier work, said he was sent straight to the war zone at the Ukraine border after just two weeks of military training

A 40-year-old Punjabi man, who recently returned from Russia, has shared a chilling account of his eight-month-long ordeal as an “unwitting” recruit in the Russian army, where he claims he was forced into active combat near the Ukraine border with mere 15 days of training.

Sarabjit Singh who claims that he was forced to serve in Russian army.

Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Amritsar, was in New Delhi on Tuesday to meet officials of the ministry of external affairs and Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal, who had taken up his case with the central government to secure his return.

Sarabjit Singh, who went to Russia in April 2024, said he was sent straight to the war zone at the Ukraine border after just two weeks of military training. “I along with a group of 18 people went to Moscow for courier work. Upon arrival at the airport, we were detained and taken to a building where we underwent documentation and medical checkups. After this, we were given just 15 days of military training before being sent to the conflict zone,” he said.

“Donning a military outfit, we were transported in vehicles into Ukraine territory where they were made to walk for several kilometres carrying sophisticated military weapons. Advancing into Ukrainian territory, all we could see around were corpses—many of them Indians in Russian army uniform alongside youths from various other countries,” he claimed.

Sarabjit said he had never been so close to death in his entire life. “There were days when we had no availability of drinking water and food. At one point, I became so mentally broken that I even tried to pull the pin of a hand grenade to end my life,” he said, adding that his parents started believing that he would never return.

Meanwhile, Sarabjit is planning to visit Moscow again to help the Indian embassy in tracing 14 other missing Indians in military camps there.

MP Balbir Singh Seechewal said that it was revealed through a written question submitted to the central government that out of 13 Indians in the Russian army, 12 were still missing. “The ministry is working on tracing the missing youths and to ensure their safe return to India,” Seechewal said.