Three Indian Students Missing in Russia, Families Fear Forced Army Recruitment

The families of three young men are living in fear of losing their children to the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict after they lost the contact with them, as per a Times of India report.

The missing men have been identified as Himanshu Sharma, 24, and Shakti Punder, 23, from Muzaffarnagar, and Ashu Saini, 25, from Shamli district. They travelled to Russia on student visas last year and were sharing accommodation in Moscow while pursuing a Russian-language course.

According to their relatives, the men had claimed before communication stopped that Russian authorities had confiscated their passports and compelled them to join the military. Their families last spoke to them briefly on July 30. Since then, their phones have remained switched off.

Himanshu had travelled to Russia to study and undertake permissible part-time work. His cousin Priyanshu Sharma told reporters that the family had repeatedly tried to reach him without success.

“His passport was due to expire this year. Since that last call on July 30, we have called his number several times with no response. We suspect he could be forced into the Russian Army,” Priyanshu said.

Shakti’s father also said he last spoke to his son on July 30, after which the family was unable to establish contact.

Ashu, a resident of Hasanpur Lohari village in Shamli’s Thanabhawan area, left for Russia in April 2026. His sister Anshul said their final conversation lasted about 30 seconds, during which he briefly told her that he was fine before ending the call. His father, farmer Rakesh Kumar, has appealed to the Prime Minister’s Office for help in securing his safe return.

The families also approached the Ministry of External Affairs, which informed them that the Indian embassy in Moscow had raised the matter with Russian authorities.

“The embassy has taken up the matter with the Russian authorities concerned. They have reportedly joined the Russian army; the embassy has sought details of their whereabouts. The embassy is separately taking up their case,” the MEA said in its response to the families as quoted by Times of India.

In July, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said around 24 Indians recruited through fraudulent or non-transparent means remained in the Russian Army during the war in Ukraine.

Authorities in Uttar Pradesh have assured the families that inquiries are underway and assistance will be provided. The relatives, however, continue to await information about the men’s whereabouts and their safe repatriation.