A 21-year-old Indian national, Samarjeet Singh from Ludhiana, has been missing for nearly a month after being reportedly sent to the front lines in the Russia-Ukraine war as part of the Russian army. Singh had originally travelled to Russia on a study visa and was a qualified X-ray technician. He was allegedly lured with promises of work as a doctor’s assistant but ended up joining combat, like several others from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu, and other states who were duped into fighting for Russia.

Another Indian recruit, Buta Singh from Punjab’s Moga district, who was wounded and is now hospitalized near Moscow, told The Indian Express over the phone that there has been no information on Samarjeet’s location or condition. When asked, Russian officials and Army commanders admitted to having no news of him, and attempts to reach him by walkie-talkie have failed.

Buta explained that their group was deployed on a combat mission about a month ago. While he survived and was evacuated to a Moscow hospital after sustaining injuries, Samarjeet remains missing and unaccounted for. According to Buta, at least 14 other Indians who were part of the same deployment continue to fight in the war zone, but Samarjeet’s whereabouts are unknown, intensifying concerns for his safety.