Gujarat Man Captured by Ukrainian Forces Identified as Morbi Resident: Police Confirm
Morbi (Gujarat):
A 22-year-old man from Gujarat’s Morbi district, identified as Majoti Sahil Mohammed Hussein, who was captured by Ukrainian forces while serving with the Russian army, had reportedly joined the Russian military to avoid imprisonment in a drug-related case.
According to Inspector General Ashok Kumar Yadav of the Rajkot Range, Hussein had travelled to Russia several years ago for higher studies. However, after being arrested in a drug case, he enlisted in the Russian army, allegedly intending to surrender once he reached the Ukraine border.
The Ukrainian military’s 63rd Mechanised Brigade released a video on Tuesday featuring Hussein, where he said, “I didn’t want to stay in prison, so I signed a contract… But I wanted to get out of there.” He claimed he was sent to the frontlines after just 16 days of training and surrendered soon after a dispute with his commander. “I saw a Ukrainian trench about two or three kilometres away. I put down my weapon and surrendered. I don’t want to go back to Russia,” he said in the video.
At his Morbi residence, Hussein’s mother refused to speak to the media and left the house seeking privacy. Later, his maternal uncle Abdul Ibrahim Majoti appealed to the Indian government to bring Hussein and other Indians stranded in the war zone back home.
“Sahil was a bright student who went abroad for higher studies. We have little information about what happened after he left,” Majoti said. He added that their family is well-educated, with many in government service.
IG Yadav confirmed that local police are verifying how Hussein obtained his passport and visa and are probing his connections in Russia.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has not issued an official statement yet. However, sources said the Indian Embassy in Kyiv is verifying the authenticity of the report, as no formal communication has been received from Ukrainian authorities.
Last month, the ministry urged Russia to release and repatriate 27 Indian nationals serving with its military. Several reports have also emerged suggesting that some Indians on student or business visas were coerced into joining Russian military units deployed at the frontlines of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
