We flew to Russia for a New Year’s party – and got conscripted into Putin’s army…now we’re on Ukraine frontline

A GROUP of men who went to Russia for a New Year’s Eve party claim to have been conscripted into Vladimir Putin’s army.

Seven Indian citizens say they are now being forced to participate on the frontlines in the war with Ukraine in a bizarre video message posted online.

Twitter

A group of Indian men claim they have been drafted into war after flying to Russia[/caption]

The men in the background appear visibly distressed as they cower and stare at the floor during the worrying footage

Reuters

The group allege to have unwillingly committed themselves to the Russian army and ‘can be sent to participate in hostilities at any moment’[/caption]

In the footage, which was posted onto X (formerly Twitter) by Indian outlet NDTV, the men claim to have been duped into signing documents that swore them into the army.

Having enjoyed their trip to Russia, the men were then allegedly tricked into visiting Belarus by their travel agent, who soon took their money and disappeared.

The Indian citizens claim to have been detained by police upon their arrival in Belarus and handed over to Russian authorities.

The group were allegedly forced to sign documents in Russian, despite not understanding what was written on the paper.

And after finding out they had pledged their allegiance to the Russian army, the men were faced with a haunting ultimatum should they refuse.

According to NDTV, the men were told that an alternative to military service could be a ten-year prison term.

The man speaking to the camera, Sudhir, 23, said they are now “forced to fight in the war against Ukraine“.

All men have since received military training for 15 days and been sent to a combat zone, where they “can be sent to participate in hostilities at any moment.”

But they aren’t the only Indian citizens to have been faced with the same problem.

A previous report from NDTV claims that at least 20 Indians trapped in Russia had contacted the Indian authorities for help after being allegedly duped into military service.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was trying its best to bring their citizens back and had been in touch with Russian authorities.

Like the seven men in the recent video, many unsuspecting Indians were ultimately enlisted in the Russian army after being promised support jobs.

But they, too, had signed misleading translations of documents and forced to undergo military training against their initial understanding.

The Indian embassy in Moscow is reportedly monitoring the situation of Indians in the Russian army and negotiating with Russian authorities for their early release.

Around 100 Indians were hired under contracts for a minimum period of one year in 2023, although several have since been released.

Elsewhere, a Russian neo-Nazi mercenary commander has died under mysterious circumstances after the private military group was taken over by Putin’s billionaire friend.

Vyacheslav “Vykhodnoy” Subbotin, 37, was the so-called Head of Intelligence of the notorious Española battalion consisting of Neo-Nazis and football hooligans.

And Putin’s feared army chief has sent out a chilling warning to the West saying the risk of World War 3 is “significantly” skyrocketing closer to reality.

Colonel-General Vladimir Zarudnitsky said the devastating fighting in Ukraine could soon spill over into Europe and ignite a terrifying global conflict.

Reuters

All men have since received military training for 15 days and been sent to a combat zone[/caption]

AFP

Indian’s have been unwittingly recruited into Vladimir Putin’s army[/caption]