A 30-year-old man from Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, Rakesh Kumar, who traveled to Russia last month for higher studies, was allegedly forced to join the Russian army and deployed to the war zone in Ukraine, according to reports.
Rakesh, a resident of Kushmoth village in Shaktifarm under Sitarganj tehsil, left for Russia on August 7 after securing admission to St. Petersburg University on a study visa. Initially, his family believed he was doing well, but soon he hinted at unexpected difficulties. The last proper conversation with his family was on August 30, when he revealed he had been drafted into the Russian army.
After that, his phone became unreachable. The family later received a photo of Rakesh in Russian military uniform and a brief call from an unknown Russian number, during which he said his passport and personal documents had been seized and his emails deleted. He had undergone military training in the Donbas region before being sent to the frontlines.