An agent had written to the Indian consulate on behalf of his father earlier this month asking for help in bringing him back home
A man named Hemil Ashvinbhai Mangukiya hailing from Surat,Gujarat, has been killed in Russia, in Ukranian air strike.23 year Mangukiya went to Russia in december 2023 for working in capacity of security helper but allegedly he was forced in the war zone by the Russian authorities.The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that they had not been informed about the incident.Moreover Mangukiya’s father had written to authorities about his son’s return to India earlier this month as per the reports.
This news came in the midst of recent reports alleging that more than a hundred Indian nationals might have been enlisted as security aides by the Russian Army, some disturbing accounts have emerged. It’s been claimed that despite assurances that they wouldn’t be deployed to conflict zones, some of these individuals were allegedly coerced into fighting alongside Russian forces.
Sameer Ahmad, a resident of Karnataka’s Gulbarga, said that Mangukiya was struck by missiles during an attack. “We saw a drone hovering above us. I was digging a trench and Hemil was practising how to fire, around 150 metres away. Suddenly we heard some noise. I and two other Indians, along with other Russian soldiers, hid in the trench. The missiles struck and the earth shook. After some time when we got out, I found Hemil dead. I was the one who put his body in the truck,” he said.
Another Indian worker shared a photograph of Mangukiya’s body, showing injuries and blood-stained clothes. It’s reported that Mangukiya was among a group of four Indians who came under attack on February 21. The attack occurred while they were digging a trench. A Nepalese worker was also among the casualties.
Concerns for their safety had been raised earlier when Mangukiya’s father had sent an email to the Indian consulate on February 2, urging the government to facilitate his son’s return due to the perceived risks to his life.
Responding to the situation, the Union government stated that it had approached Russian authorities seeking the “early discharge” of Indian workers serving with the Russian Army.
Despite these efforts, some Indian nationals alleged mistreatment and claimed that their pleas for help from the Indian Embassy in Moscow had been ignored. Ahmad expressed fear for their safety, recounting how Hemil died before his eyes and expressing concern that they might also be sent to the border and left to die. They appealed for assistance, stating that the Russian commander had indicated they were bound by a contract and that they would only receive Hemil’s body after two months.
Another worker echoed these sentiments, expressing fear for their safety and frustration with the lack of action from the government to rescue them. They emphasized that they were hired as security aides but were being pressured to fight on the Russia-Ukraine border against their will.
