"I don't know how he ended up in Ukraine."
Ukraine has captured an Indian national allegedly fighting for Russian forces, the first known Indian detained in the ongoing war.
Sahil Majothi, from Gujarat, went to Russia to study computer engineering two years ago. His mother says he was falsely accused in a drug case in April 2024.
The 22-year-old joined the Russian army to avoid imprisonment over drug charges, according to a video released by Ukraine’s army.
The Indian foreign ministry says it is investigating the case and has not yet received formal communication from Ukraine.
His mother, Hasina Majothi, said her son went to Russia in January 2024.
He completed a three-month language course in St Petersburg before moving to Moscow for college, supporting himself part-time as a kitchenware courier.
She alleges that in April 2024, someone slipped drugs into a parcel handed to Sahil during his deliveries.
Hasina said: “The police caught him with it and charged him.”
Hasina claimed her son was detained, held for six months and later sentenced to seven years in prison. The family hired a private lawyer in Russia to defend him, but they had no idea when or how he was drafted into the military.
She added: “I don’t know how he ended up in Ukraine. I only found out through the viral video.”
In the video released by Ukraine’s 63rd Mechanised Brigade, Sahil can be heard saying he was given a choice between joining the Russian army, with pay for his service, or serving jail time.
He said he was told he would serve in the military for a year before being released.
Sahil claims that different people promised him varying amounts of money, from a hundred thousand to over a million roubles, but he never received any payment.
He says he underwent 15 days of training in September 2024 and was sent to the battlefield a year later, on September 30.
On October 1, Sahil said he had an altercation with his commander.
He then separated from Russian soldiers and came across a Ukrainian dugout, where he asked for help.
After the video went viral, Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) questioned Hasina and her brother in Ahmedabad.
Her relatives said she separated from her husband around her son’s birth and supports her family as a seamstress while living with her maternal relatives.
ATS officials confirmed Sahil’s arrest and subsequent detention in Russia. They said the family claimed to have had no contact with him since his arrest.
The Indian student’s arrest comes amid growing concern over Indians being recruited into the Russian military.
Reports say over 150 Indians, some on student or visitor visas, have enlisted. At least 12 have died in the conflict, and 16 remain missing.
In September, Indian officials urged Moscow to release and repatriate 27 Indian nationals who had been recruited into the army.
The Indian government has consistently advised its citizens against participating in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
A spokesperson from India’s foreign ministry said:
“We once again strongly urge all Indian nationals to stay away from offers to serve in the Russian army, as they are fraught with danger and risk to life.”
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