HISAR: Amid reports of youths from Fatehabad, Rohtak, Ambala and Sonipat trapped in the Russia-Ukraine war, concern has deepened over the fate of a youth from Hisar district. Sonu, 28, from Madanheri village is feared to have been killed in the conflict, while his companion, Aman, 24, from the same village has been missing since September 22.Both men went to Russia in May 2024 to pursue a foreign language course. Their families said their visas were nearing expiry and they were expected to return soon. What came instead was a claim that Sonu had died. Aman’s brother Sunil said on September 3 Aman called home and said he and Sonu were being deceived into joining the Russian army and being sent to fight in Ukraine. “He told us he didn’t want to join the army and begged us to save him,” Sunil said.
On Sept 19, Sonu’s uncle Billu received a message on Telegram app, purportedly from a Russian official, which, after translation, stated that Sonu had been missing since Sept 6 and that his body had been found. The family was asked to come to Moscow to claim the body.Russian govt doesn’t bear the expense of transporting the body and will at best take it to a Russian airport, the message said. The family has to pay for the flight to India, and if they couldn’t afford it, Sonu would be buried in “Leningrad’s Oblast”, it said.Sunil said that on Sept 22, Aman made a video call and told him he was recruited into the Russian army under the pretext of a security job, and that money from his bank account was withdrawn. Since then, the family has lost contact with him as well. The families have approached MHA the ministry of home affairs seeking help, but have yet to receive a satisfactory response. On Oct 7, an email from Tadu Mamu, counsellor at the Indian embassy in Moscow, arrived on Sonu’s uncle Billu’s email ID saying the Russian authorities have not yet confirmed Sonu’s death and that the embassy would share updates once official information was received.The families have appealed to MHA and Indian embassy in Moscow for assistance.
