The seven Indians have been identified as Gagandeep Singh (24), Lovepreet Singh (24), Narain Singh (22), Gurpreet Singh (21), Gurpreet Singh (23), Harsh Kumar (20) and Abhishek Kumar (21). While five workers are said to be from Punjab, the other two are from Haryana, The Hindu reported.

In a 105-second video circulating on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the seven men are seen wearing military winter jackets or skull caps. They are positioned within a dimly lit and unkempt room with a sealed window at one end. Six of them are clustered in a corner while the seventh, identified as 19-year-old Harsh from Karnal, Haryana, records a video message detailing their predicament and appealing for aid.

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NDTV reported that they left for Russia on December 27 – to celebrate the New Year there. They had a visa for the Russia trip – valid for 90 days – but then travelled to neighbouring Belarus.

“An agent offered to take us to Belarus… we were not aware we needed a visa. When we went to Belarus (without a visa) the agent asked us for more money and then abandoned us. The police caught us and handed us over to Russian authorities, who made us sign documents,” Harsh said in the video.

“Now they (Russia) are forcing us to fight in the war against Ukraine.”

Harsh’s family told the news channel that he had also sought employment abroad, and was reportedly told that it would be easier to emigrate to a country of his choice if he went via Russia.

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Harsh’s brother claimed he was given weapons training and deployed to the Donestsk region.

Amrit Singh, the brother of Gurpreet Singh who is also reportedly seen in the video, told NDTV that the men were “forced” into military service. “They were forced to join the army there since the documents which they signed in Belarus were in the Russian language. It said they either accept imprisonment for 10 years or join the Russian army,” Amrit Singh was quoted as saying.

Reports have suggested that up to 100 Indian nationals had been recruited as support staff by the Russian Army and that dozens of them had been forced to fight on the border with Ukraine.

Last week, the external affairs ministry said about 20 Indian nationals serving with the Russian military have approached authorities seeking help for their discharge, against the backdrop of reports of casualties among Indians forced to fight in the war against Ukraine.

Also Read | MEA reacts to reports of Indians with Russian Army seeking help for discharge

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing that some 20 Indians, working as support staff or helpers with the Russian Army, have contacted Indian authorities for assistance. He didn’t specify the total number of Indians believed to be working with the Russian military.