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As the plane touched down at Srinagar Airport on 13 September, Azad Yousuf Kumar's heart swelled with emotions. After nine long months, he was finally back home in Kashmir after he had ventured to Russia in search of a job.
31-year-old Azad from Poshwan village of Tral in Pulwama district, was stuck along the Russia-Ukraine border with a dozen other Indians, who ended up fighting a war they have no connection with.
Azad witnessed the devastation first-hand — bombed-out buildings, displaced families, and an eerie silence that hung over the cities along the border. Despite the challenges, he persevered, holding onto the hope of returning home.
As Azad stepped out of the airport, he was greeted by his tearful family. His mother's embrace and his brothers firm handshake was all he needed to feel the weight of his journey lifting.
Late last year, Azad told his family about a "job opportunity" in Russia. Father to a four-month-old baby boy then, he had flown to Moscow on 14 December 2023, not knowing that he will land in Russia as a mercenary for its army to fight Ukraine.
Azad had fallen prey to a job fraud.
'Wanted to Contribute to Kashmir's Progress, Not Abandon It'
Azad’s eyes gazed out at the familiar landscape of Kashmir, his heart still processing what he had endured.
"If there were job opportunities here...," he said, his voice sad, yet determined, "I wouldn't have had to spend nine months in Russia, facing uncertainty and misery."
He paused to collect his thoughts. "I missed the simplicity of life here, the warmth of my family, and the comfort of our traditions." Azad's words echo the sentiments of many young Kashmiris, who ventured abroad seeking better job opportunities.
"If our government creates jobs and fosters growth, we won't have to leave our homeland in search of a livelihood. We want to contribute to Kashmir's progress, not abandon it," Azad asserted.
Despite being a B.Com graduate and applying for many opportunities, Azad couldn't land a job in Kashmir, and resorted to helping his father in construction work.
Azad Yousuf Kumar, 32, said he was compelled to take up the "helper" job in Russia as he was not finding a job back in Kashmir, despite being a B.Com graduate.
(Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar)
"I helped my father in digging tube wells to make ends meet. I got married and have a beautiful son now," he told this reporter.
'Found Out About the Job in Russia from Baba Vlogs'
On being asked how did he find the job in Russia, he said, "One day, I stumbled upon Baba Vlogs' YouTube videos about job opportunities in Russia. I paid almost Rs 3 lakh to Baba Vlogs for that job."
Baba Vlogs describes itself as a “leading job consultancy and recruitment agency," run by a YouTuber Faisal Khan. The YouTube channel Baba Vlogs has several videos, promising jobs to people in countries like Russia, Dubai, Serbia, Singapore among others.
These videos had taken a 30-year-old victim in Mohammed Asfan, who allegedly went to Russia through Baba Vlogs in November last year and was tricked into signing a contract of joining the Russian army. While Faisal Khan is reportedly under the CBI scanner for duping people on the pretext of well-paying jobs abroad, his YouTube Channel Baba Vlogs has been taken down.
Also Read: 'Russia Best, No IELTS Needed': How Agents Lure Job-Seekers to the Ukraine War
Azad, who had opted for the job of a helper, said that initially he was assured by Russian authorities that he would be sent to the 'green zone' only, but was later moved to multiple cities before being sent to the 'red zone', which is a war zone.
Azad points at a map to show the cities where he was taken before being thrown in the war zone along Russia-Ukraine border.
(Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar)
"Two men belonging to the Russian army were always with me, even when I had to go to the washroom. It was a very traumatic experience and I still can’t run away from it," Azad mourned.
'69 Indians Still in Russia, Eight Killed': MEA
Days after getting "enlisted" in the Russian military, Azad suffered a gunshot wound on his foot, after which he was assigned tasks such as cutting trees, digging land, etc.
Azad's mother holds out an old photograph of his, when he was still serving in the Russian army.
(Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar)
When Azad contacted his family in Kashmir and informed them about his injury, they immediately reached out to local media outlets for help.
In response to media queries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on 23 February stated, "We are aware that a few Indian nationals have signed up for support jobs with the Russian army. The Indian Embassy has regularly taken up this matter with the relevant Russian authorities for their early discharge. We urge all Indian nationals to exercise due caution and stay away from this conflict."
In July, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Moscow, Russia had reportedly agreed to discharge Indian men deployed in the Russian army. The decision, which was not formally announced by Russia, had come after PM Modi’s "direct intervention," The Hindu reported.
On 9 August, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi questioned Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Parliament on bringing back Indians stranded in Russia, including "one Kashmiri boy, Zahoor, who is missing and there is no information regarding his whereabouts.”
In response, Jaishankar said:
"Eight Indians have unfortunately died while in service with the Russian armed forces. Of them, the mortal remains of four have been brought back; while the ministry is following up with Russian authorities on a case from Haryana, where a DNA report was sought...We will get back those 69 people because Indian citizens should not serving in the army of foreign countries."S Jaishankar, Union External Affairs Minister
He added that the CBI is probing the traffickers in these cases.
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