In a video released by Ukraine’s 63rd Mechanised Brigade, Hussein claimed he signed a contract with the Russian military to escape prison. India’s External Affairs Ministry said it is verifying the report and has yet to receive official confirmation from Ukrainian authorities.
BY PC Bureau
A 22-year-old Indian student from Gujarat has reportedly been captured by Ukrainian forces while allegedly serving with the Russian army, according to Ukrainian media reports. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is verifying the authenticity of the reports and has yet to receive any official confirmation from Ukrainian authorities.
The captured individual has been identified as Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein, a resident of Morbi, Gujarat, by The Kyiv Independent. Hussein is said to have gone to Russia to pursue higher education but was later coerced into joining the Russian military amid the ongoing war with Ukraine.
In a video released by Ukraine’s 63rd Mechanised Brigade, Hussein claimed he had been imprisoned in Russia on drug-related charges and was offered early release in exchange for signing a combat contract.
BREAKING: Ukraine claims to have captured Indian national Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein (22), a student from Morbi, Gujarat, fighting alongside Russian forces. Indian government verifying details. pic.twitter.com/404xwrPrki
— IndiaWarZone (@IndiaWarZone) October 7, 2025
“I didn’t want to stay in prison, so I signed a contract for the ‘special military operation’. But I wanted to get out of there,” Hussein said in the video. He alleged that he received just 16 days of basic training before being sent to the front lines on October 1. After three days of fighting, Hussein said he surrendered voluntarily to Ukrainian soldiers following a confrontation with his Russian commander.
“I came across a Ukrainian trench about two to three kilometres away… I dropped my rifle and said I didn’t want to fight. I needed help,” he recalled. Hussein further claimed he was promised financial rewards for his service, which never materialized. “I don’t want to go back to Russia. There is no truth there. I’d rather stay in prison here (in Ukraine),” he said.
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Reports of foreign nationals, including Indians and North Koreans, being recruited by Russia under false pretenses of employment or education have surfaced repeatedly over the past year.
In January 2025, India’s MEA confirmed that 12 Indian nationals had died fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine, while 16 others remained missing. New Delhi later formally raised the issue with Moscow, seeking the safe release and return of Indians trapped in the conflict.
India has maintained a neutral diplomatic stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, refraining from joining Western sanctions against Moscow and consistently calling for dialogue and peaceful resolution of the crisis.
