Punjab: A plea from Indians trapped in the Ukraine war zone, save us before it’s too late

Punjab: “Save us… We have just a day or two left. After that, they will send us to war.” This was the desperate cry of two youths, Ankit Jangra, 23, and Vijay Poonia, 25, from Kumharia village in Fatehabad district, who are now stranded in Russian-controlled Ukraine. What began as a quest for education abroad has turned into an ordeal of survival in a war zone far from home. Both Ankit and Vijay had gone to Russia on student visas to learn the Russian language. Ankit, who joined a college in Moscow earlier this year while working part-time at a KFC outlet, said everything changed when he accepted a job offer as a driver by a local woman. Speaking to The Tribune over a WhatsApp call from Selydove, a war-torn region 200-300 km from Russia that was taken over by Moscow’s forces last year, Ankit revealed that he and 12 other Indian youths are now stranded under Russian military control.
The group, aged between 20 and 27, includes three from Punjab, three from Jammu and Kashmir, two from Uttar Pradesh, three from Haryana and two from Rajasthan. At least seven of them had originally come on study visas. Ankit told how they were promised lucrative contracts to join the Russian army – Rs 20 lakh after 15 days of training and a monthly salary of Rs 1.5-2 lakh. But once taken to the military camp, they were never allowed to go back. “When we ask to go back, the Russian officers point guns at us and say: ‘Either you will die here or kill the enemy. There is no way to go back.’” The young men say they survive on bread and jam in harsh, inhuman conditions. Non-vegetarian food is often provided, but many cannot eat it. Ankit added that the most frightening thing is that five Indians from his group have already died, while others are missing and feared dead. “We don’t know who’s next. We appeal to other Indian youths not to fall prey to false promises of jobs or studies in Russia,” Ankit pleaded. Their phone usage is being strictly monitored. They are given just a few minutes to call home and are warned not to tell of their plight – if caught, the phones will be confiscated at gunpoint. In Kumharia, anxiety prevails among the families. Relatives of Ankit and Vijay have approached local officials, including Deputy Commissioner Dr Vivek Bharti, MP Ramchandra Jangra and former MP Sunita Duggal, seeking immediate intervention. “These boys went abroad to study, not to fight someone else’s battle. The government must now bring them back safely,” said a family member. The stranded youths claim they have already informed the Indian embassy, ​​but no help has arrived yet. Their immediate appeal now is to the Ministry of External Affairs: rescue them before it is too late.